Fictive Kinship
by Rollele
Summary: Years after being adopted, Near knew that Matt and Mello were together in a type of romantic relationship. One night, he hears his name being moaned from both individuals. Is it the beginning of being in between both adoptive brothers; both emotionally and romantically?
1. Situational Irony

The sound cracked the air as the sound started and kept continuing with a certain '_beep!_' Gray eyes quickly opened, slightly wide as they took in what the surroundings had to offer; looking over at the clock on the bedside table, a small frown was placed on his lips. It read: 5:00A.M.

His lips slowly parted to give out a small sigh as the petite body slowly sat up. He did not even bother with the clock since it was not his that was making the obnoxious noise. Oh, no. It was his housemate's alarm clock. Slowly bringing a pale hand up toward his white locks, the boy stared at the wall, counting down seconds while curling a strand of white hair.

_3…2…1…_

The noise stopped. It was obvious that one of his housemates, either boy who was named Mello or Matt, had turned off the alarm clock. By the look of the time and their personalities, it was more probable that it was Mello who had turned it off.

"…"

Two small pale hands slowly rubbed the gray orbs as there were noises of shuffling in the next room.

Standing up, the teenage boy quickly turned off his own alarm from the clock and stretched slightly, knowing that the alarm that was set for 6:00A.M. was now utterly useless. Of course the actions would seem foreign to anyone that barely knew him since he was known as the silent, mysterious, and unemotional type. However, that was not true.

Right now, the boy was rather annoyed at his housemate's alarm clock. Usually, he would appreciate the alarm clock that woke him up an hour early. Instead of dwelling on it, the teenage boy slowly walked into another room: the bathroom – as he remembered last night's events.

He could remember from the other room that the bed was creaking; two different types of moans filled the air. It was obvious what Matt and Mello were doing that night.

_I wonder if that was in his calculation. Perhaps he wanted to disturb my sleep on purpose. I can imagine what his thought process was at the time… "I'll show that big-headed Near!"_

Pushing the thought aside, gray eyes looked into the mirror of the bathroom. There were dark rings under his eyes. Looking over at the shower, pale hands reached out to turn the knobs. Waiting for the water to be warm, he closed his eyes slightly to relax. Then he turned and started brushing his teeth, his thoughts never stopping.

_If Mello did it to get back at me, then what would be his purpose other than the obvious dislike he has of me? Does he_**_hate_**_me? It is possible to have a strong emotion towards me. His body always tells everyone what is on his mind and his actions are easy to read as a book, but as a whole, he is confusing. He's an interesting puzzle._

Turning the knob to let the water pour out from the showerhead, pieces of clothing fell to the floor seconds later. The boy was lost in thought as the water poured onto his body. Of course, there was one thing that brought his thoughts back to reality.

"Near! Hurry up! The hot water isn't only for you!" A harsh voice sounded as gray eyes blinked slightly at the tone. Of course it was Mello. Matt barely talked to him and if there was a reason, it would be a rather small one.

It was not that Mello forbade Matt to talk with him, no. The only thing was that the obvious was the discomfort that Mello had which made Matt not think of the action of all or to even put effort into it. Also, they were both quiet and there was no reason to speak to each other. A small nod or small words of exchange during dinner were the only words truly used.

Ignoring Mello from the outside, Near kept showering at his own pace.

_Mello should have thought of the consequences if he did not wish to have competition for the shower._

A small smirk formed onto his lips as his thought. After a few minutes, the knobs did turn close shut as a small sigh escaped from his lips. The water was still dripping from his white locks.

"Finally!" A voice shouted from the other room.

Gray eyes slowly rolled themselves. However, before he moved another inch, he could hear small noises of a device. It was probably a gaming device.

_Matt is awake? That is rather strange…unless…what time is it?_

Grabbing his towel, Near walked out of the bathroom and into his own bedroom again. He wrapped it around his body as he could hear the small gaming noises from the other room. Looking over at the window, the white curtains revealed that it was still dark out, but there was enough light to look around the room. Turning his gaze away, he looked over at the clock: 5:37A.M.

Everything in Near's room was white, which helped when trying to find his way through the darkness. There were a few things that were black and gray, but mostly white.

Going to the closet, he looked at the school uniforms that were there. A small sigh escaped his lips as he knew that school was not going to begin for approximately another hour and a half. That would mean he would have to eat…breakfast.

It was not that he disliked eating breakfast, but the thought of being served a rather big plate was something that he did not want to think about. Out of the three of them, Matt was the one that ate less. He was always focused on his video games, but Near was second that disliked eating more than it was necessary. Mello was the only one that did eat a full plate of breakfast, but even after it, he could eat a lot of chocolate.

_How much room does Mello have in that stomach?_

A small smile formed onto his lips as he thought about the amusing rhetorical question. Taking the clothes from the hanger, he let his petite body slowly slip into them. Walking over to the mirror, he stared at himself. It was different and it always felt odd to be out of his normal clothes: white pajama button up shirt, faded light blue jeans, and white socks.

Right now, though, it was completely different. It was a light blue button up shirt, a red necktie, a navy blue sweater vest, and navy dress pants.

A small frown was made onto his facial features as he stared at his small figure in the mirror. It was strange to see himself in the mirror, but there was nothing he could do. The uniform was the school policy and he would not let the chance of education escape because of his dislike for fashion. Near could endure a lot of things. One of them was being picked on by his housemates and the other was being picked on by classmates, but uniform? It was slightly unbearable. He disliked being dress up like a doll.

Thinking about the classmates that picked on him, Near knew that there was one individual that stood up for him and he was silently grateful at first, but after that, things were made things worse. After that first incident, the other teenagers started to pick on the girl that was defending him and he disliked it. Of course he strayed away to distracted them, and they followed, but it earned him a few bruises. It was nothing he could not handle. After all, it was better than for a girl to be picked on. That was how he was raised and that's how he would defend the girl while showing respect for her.

A small blush came onto his cheeks as he thought about the girl; it was the same girl that liked him. It made him feel weird inside since everybody thought he was an odd child. Staring at the red tie in the mirror, he pushed the thought away.

Turning, he put on his white and gray sneakers after his white socks. He was silently thankful that he could hold onto a bit of his personality even though the school uniform had to consist of the colors that the school had chosen, which was not under his persona, per say. A small satisfied smile came as the socks were barely visible.

"It's breakfast time!" A slightly deep voice shouted.

Looking at his own reflection in the mirror once again, Near turned around to grab his gray backpack and walked out of the room, closing the door behind himself. He didn't even bother combing his hair, knowing that it would get messy later and one strand would be curlier than the rest because he always played with his hair. It was a strange habit – another reason why teenagers at school picked on him, but also another reason for the girl that defended him to like him.

Walking toward the stairs that lead down, he was shoved to the side with force.

"Hurry it up already." The harshness of the voice was obvious as blond hair passed Near's vision, followed by red locks.

Not saying a word about the incident, he followed the two individuals down the stairs.

"Good morning, dad." Mello's voice spoke. It had a different attitude to it. It was rather sweet and gentle instead of the slight harshness it had moments before.

"Good morning, children." He addressed them all at once.

Neither Matt or Near responded. Putting his backpack down, he sat at the table, bringing his left leg up to rest on the chair.

Looking over at their father, he stared at the features he had: dark circles under his eyes, dark black spikey hair, and a fancy suit to compliment the atmosphere that was around him – sophistication.

Turning his gaze away from his father, he stared at the food on his own plate. Their father was a detective for the local London police department. It had been a while since the four had moved from Winchester.

"Please, don't speak all at once. You are all overwhelming me." Their father spoke with a slightly sarcastic, but mostly humorous tone.

Near did not say a word, slowly grabbing a fork to eat. Mello was already eating and Matt was currently working on the video game to get to the next level.

"You all got along so well in the orphanage. What's the matter?" The voice came out gentler, the sarcasm replaced with concern.

"Nothing is wrong, dad." Mello's voice answered for all three of them.

Near did not nod his head, but Matt did. He kept staring at the food in front of him, eating at a slow pace.

L Lawliet was their adoptive father, alright. The three had been adopted from the Wammy House in Winchester. After a few days after the adoption, L wanted to move elsewhere. He eventually decided to move to London and got a detective job, which paid a rather well salary. That was years ago, though. They had all been adoptive brothers for years now.

L had renamed all of them and had even given them his last name; Matt Lawliet, Mello Lawliet, and Near Lawliet. It was an odd choice of name, but it seemed that L wanted those names for no particular reason other than wanting to name them.

_He's childish at times…_

Near didn't react to his own thought as he kept silently eating, noticing that Matt had finally put his game down and took the fork and knife in his hands. It was most likely due to the kick he heard and the slightly-annoyed glance that Matt gave Mello, which made the situation obvious to what happened under the table.

They were not chosen by chance, but by an exam that was given to all of the Wammy House children. It was the hardest test that the three had taken and each tried to score the highest score for a different reason.

Rumor in the Wammy House was that the best three scores got to go with _the_ detective from Winchester; he was real smart and caught many criminals with the hardest cases. Near did try his hardest on the exam because it was the first challenging one that was ever given to him, Mello had wanted to beat Near at scoring and he also wanted to push himself, and Matt wanted to score third because it would mean that he would go with Mello and both of them would not get separated. He didn't even want to think of what it would be like at the Wammy House without his best friend beside him.

The Wammy House already knew who the three best would score, but it was still a challenge just finishing the exam, which was rather euphoric to the three individuals, but for the rest of the students, it was either torture or unpleasant all together. The test seemed impossible to answer, from the oddest questions to the most difficult ones.

The exam lasted five hours, which tested mental stability and endurance. The topics were from advanced fields; including college exam questions from: English, psychology, criminology, anthropology, sociology, calculus, and other studies. There were even questions on what the temperature was before the students were taken the exam and other details that anybody would miss.

Finishing up the plate of food of two pancakes, Near did not have to look over when Mello finished after him and Matt took a few bites more bites than he wanted to satisfy Mello and his father.

"Okay, then. We should get going." Grabbing everybody's plates, L put them on the kitchen counter. It was always all three that got assignments on chores. Mello did most of the chores, Near did decent work, but Matt was the one that barely did work. He was more motivated by Mello's orders than L's.

Walking to the black vehicle, he got inside and started up the car. Taking a hand on the seatbelt, the others followed the same motion. Mello sat upfront with L, Matt was behind L to get a good view of Mello, and Near sat behind Mello, looking out the window.

Matt currently wore a light blue button up shirt with a tan vest, navy pants, and red and black sneakers. Meanwhile, Mello currently wore a light blue button up shirt, a light blue blazer, and a black tie. Mello's sneakers were completely black.

The car stopped after a few minutes of driving at a rather large building. "I may not be able to get here on time; if so, I'll send one of you a text message." L said, not wanting to embarrass his children further by staying longer than needing to. However, all three were not and did not care about what the other students would think of them. Matt didn't care much about anything and classmates were no exception, Mello could use his glare to let the students shut up, and Near also didn't care.

_These people do not have high intelligence to persuade my opinion._

Walking out of the car, Near shut the door behind him. He looked back at L like the other two as he drove away. Mello gave a small wave and Matt did too after a while. Near didn't wave at all. Looking over at Mello's backpack, he noticed that it was entirely black, but Matt's was completely white and black stripped.

The blond and red head did not say a word as they walked into the building. Near watched them go. Slowly taking a few steps forward, his body was thrown backwards by arms wrapping around his torso.

"Nia!" A high-pitched voice spoke as the arms around his torso loosened slightly. Looking down at brown eyes, his cheeks slightly reddened as his shoulders were still tensed up by the unexpected action.

"My name is _Near_, not _Nia_." Near responded, knowing that the nickname would stick to him.

"I know, but I like calling you that." The smile on the girl's face widened as she stared at the other. "Do you have a fever? Your cheeks are rather red."

As the small giggle escaped her lips, his cheeks turned even redder. Near's mental processing was quickly dropping as he shook his head. The close contact with his female friend was rather uncomfortable and the way she would tease him was also embarrassing. Near finally understood why everybody at school thought they were dating or had some type of romantic relationship to some extent.

"Fine, fine." The girl smiled at him. "Why don't you give me a nickname? Then we'll be even, right?"

A small frown came onto the teenage boy's features. "No thank you. I rather call you Linda instead of a nickname."

"You're no fun, _Nia_." She continued her teasing, a small pout on her lips.

A few minutes later, the bell rang, which he was grateful for. He started walking to class with the happy girl next to him.

She had a light blue button-up shirt with a navy blue sweater vest and a light skirt that came down a bit past her mid-thighs. She also had shin-high white socks with black and white sneakers.

"I'll see you later, Nia." Linda smiled at her friend, waving slightly. Turning around, she walked away, her light blue backpack disappearing into the crowd.

Going inside of the classroom, Near took his usual seat. It was always at the back left of the room, away from everyone else. It was the first row, seat eight, the one that had a good view of the window to the outside world.

_I wonder what boring lesson will be taught today that I already know._

Looking down at the notepad and pencil that were ready to take notes, gray eyes looked up to the teacher. The body next to him was Matt's while the body next to the gamer was Mello's.

It was the first day of school and they were not "late" because the bell rang two minutes after the trio walked through the door, but all of the seats were already claimed except for the last three.

_Mello's level of dislike was very obvious the first day._

As the teacher came in, gray eyes did not look over. The teacher took a couple of minutes to set up. "Class, today we will start a new section where we will learn about kinships in different types of societies."

Near's gray eyes kept staring at the blank notebook page, his brain reflecting on everything about anthropological kinship. It was a rather simple concept to understand, but the most interesting part was the challenging graphs of an unknown kinship that one had to answer.

It was a puzzle even though it only took a few minutes, but knowing that it was people that he was examining through a family tree was rather interesting. Even though the figures were only triangles and circles, the heritage spoke a lot about the society itself. It did lead to more questions, yes, but a couple of them, Near could answer almost immediately.

As the teacher started to speak and to teach the lesson, many people did different things: some took notes, some slept, and some did absolutely nothing, but take the information in.

A single strand of white hair slowly twirled in a finger as the teacher kept giving the lesson about patrilineal and matrilineal types of kinships. She even went on to explain in full detail about the "ego" and give examples for the students could understand the material more.

Matt was one of the students that was only listening to the material. He was only paying attention to half of it because the other half of his attention was directed at Mello. He would get the notes from him later anyways. Meanwhile, Mello was only taking notes, paying attention and taking all of the information in. He knew that anything that she said could be used on a quiz or test material and Mello did not want to give Near the satisfaction of winning. Near was listening to her words as well, but only took notes on the necessary information he did not know, the information he knew was already in his brain. He disliked taking notes of the unnecessary that was known to not be on quizzes or exams.

After the bell had rung, most of the students got up from their seats and walked out of the classroom quickly. Some hurried to their next class, some hung around, and there were those few that took their time to getting to their class, talking with their best friend or friend next to them.

The next two classes were the same for the trio of adoptive brothers. Matt paid attention, watched Mello take notes, and was bored without being able to play his game system. Instead, he started tapping his fingers against the desk quietly, not wanting to upset the blond. Mello took the most notes necessary, never missing the teacher's words. Near only listened and wrote down the notes that were new knowledge or no notes at all, depending on the subject.

After the two classes, the three went their separate ways in the lunchroom. Matt and Mello stayed together, going with a group of friends while Near and Linda went elsewhere to stay.

There were rumors that Linda and Near were dating, but it was never an "official" public announcement. Girls would ask Linda, but she would blush and not answer the questions, keeping a straight face, but a slight pout would surface now and then.

Meanwhile, Near ignored everybody else, knowing that they would not come up to him and ask. Instead, they would insult him when he was near, not wanting Linda to get hurt by a "creep." They also called him a "freak" and any other name that they could think of.

Of course, Near traced the actions back to psychology and once finding out why each individual did pick on him, the psychological puzzle became boring.

_Some puzzles that are solved can never be solved again because the pieces can only be solved once._

"Hey Near…do you have a person you'll take to prom yet?" A small smile was on her lips, a hopeful expression throughout her features.

"I am not going." Near answered in a monotone voice, noticing that she had not used his nickname, but his adoptive real name.

"Oh." And with that, Linda dropped the topic completely, trying to hide the small disappointment in her voice while moving onto another topic. "Say Near, why don't you hang out with Matt or Mello?"

His lips slightly twitched downward, annoyance visible for a millisecond. "They do not want to hang out with me. It is that simple."

"Oh." Linda said again, the tone of her voice being coated in slight sadness this time.

Near didn't reply to her word, wondering why Linda had not gotten the message earlier if it was an obvious one. Of course, the girl's head was a rather smart brain, but it wasn't as smart as him. He knew that Linda was stronger than him and perhaps even smarter in some fields.

"Hey Near, why do you think your dad named you that?" She gave a small smile, trying to interact with him. "Near Lawliet sounds very handsome, but the first name is kind of weird, isn't it?"

Dull gray eyes that were staring ahead slowly turned themselves onto shiny brown eyes. "I do see the abnormality of calling someone a verb, an adverb, preposition, or an adjective instead of a common English name. However, my father is seen as a strange person by society's invisible rules and I do not see anything strange with my name. It was his choice."

Linda gave a small smile and nod, knowing that she had not offended the boy in front of her. "Well, I guess so, but don't you think it's weird? 'Matt' is a normal name, but 'Mello' isn't."

Near did not want to explain himself, but he did to amuse the girl. "It all depends a person's point of view and what type of culture they were raised in, Linda. Yes, I do know that the name 'Matt' is very normal in English and 'Mello' is not. The spelling is different, but again, it was L's choice in the matter. 'L' is a different name on its own. It is only a letter and it is not a common as an English name either."

The girl next to him gave a small nod, the smile never leaving her features. "You are right about that. What do you think about _my_ name, Near?" The smile grew a bit bigger on her lips, her eyes slightly sparkling with an emotion that Near could not register.

"It means 'beautiful' in Spanish while it means 'clean' in Italian. It also comes from Latin and many countries do use the name 'Linda' to name days in months. It is also used to give roots to other words in other languages."

Linda's smile slightly dropped, but she gave a small nod, feeling rather touched that he knew all of that information from memory. However, she had asked for _his_ opinion, not facts. Her heart started to race slightly as she kept staring at his face, noticing that not a single emotion or movement made itself known. The teenage girl already knew that if Near ever did show an expression, it was because his emotions were intense. Also, the emotions he did show, she did not notice since they were millisecond reactions. She only knew due to taking pictures of him when he least expected them.

"…"

"Would you like a piece of my sandwich?" She offered; rather worried that he barely ate.

"No, thank you." He politely declined.

The rest of the lunch period, they were both silent. She ate and looked around at nature while he stared at the notes that he had taken in previous classes. As the bell rang, both of them packed their things, getting ready for next class.

Luckily for Linda, the next class was a passion she had. It was photography and it was with Near.

"Are you ready for photography? Have you memorized—no, _learned_ about the exposure triangle?"

He noticed how she corrected herself. A small smile would have tugged at his lips if he was not still reviewing the notes in his mind. Linda knew that he _learned_ about things and did not_memorize_ like typical children in school.

"Yes, I have." He answered honestly, knowing the functions of the camera. "However, that does not help when capturing the 'artistic side' of an image."

Linda gave a small smile of encouragement, standing up while Near mimicked her movements. "Oh, come on. I'm sure you'll get it! Besides, the quizzes and exams are about the camera's exposure, elements, and the history."

"Yes, I do know all of the information that has been covered, Linda. However, the difficulty is capturing the emotions of a picture. Unlike your photography, my pictures come out dull and bland, like my personality. It is the written assignments that I have difficulty with when describing symbolism of a photo I took." He started walking to the classroom, passing a few people that he knew in the hall.

"Like I said, I'm sure you'll get it. Besides, Near, you're a fast learner." She smiled, walking into the classroom with the boy following right behind her.

He did not respond, taking his seat in his usual spot. Like the classes before, he sat in the back left corner, the window giving him pure light to work with on the big table in front of the two.

The teacher walked in, a female, and gave a small smile to her class. "As you know, I love giving a daily quote about photography to inspire you and motivate you all. Ernst Hass once said, '_There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are._'"

Near could see the verbal irony behind that quote, wondering if the teacher chose it on purpose. From the whole class, the only one that had the lowest grade was Near. He did the assignments, or at least tried to, but barely passed most of the time. It was not because the pictures were too terrible that they were blurry, had been covered in noise, or any other malfunction. His pictures were rather great, but it was the creativity part that stumped him.

When the teacher asked what the picture he took symbolized, he always answered with the logic answers. It was frustrating to the teacher and she tried to snap him out of his logic zone, or "comfort zone," as she called it, but it never worked.

It was as if asking him to socialize freely, which he disliked. Linda was the only person he socialized with, other than Mello and L, sometimes Matt. He barely liked socializing with Matt in the first place, to be honest. Mello was more tolerable and when discussing topics, it was easy for both of them to follow the other's thought process. Of course Mello took a few seconds or even a few minutes to respond, but Near thought those minutes were interesting.

_He always reminds me that no matter what, there is another angle to the problem in front of me. He always makes me think if my answer has been well thought._

The conclusion of the other was usually the same, but when something was different, Near re-evaluated his information and responded with another answer instead. It was something that he could not share with anyone else. A small smile came onto his lips as he thought of those moments. Throughout time, though, Mello stopped talking to Near. Slowly, he became another classmate that picked on him.

L, on the other hand, was too quick for Near and usually it was Near that had to take a few minutes to catch up when processing problems. It was sometimes frustrating, mostly when he did not come to the same conclusion that L had. L seemed as if he was perfect and everything came naturally, but Near took his time and actually analyzed the material in front of him.

_Perhaps that is why Mello wants to be as our father. He wants to be perfect, but he cannot surpass my intelligence. Is that why he's mad at me? Is that why he became distant?_

"Now, class, please take out your cameras and do the assignment that is on the board."

The voice snapped Near out of his thoughts as dull gray eyes scanned the board. It was an assignment that involved taking photographs of anything one wanted and analyzing the picture.

Grabbing a camera, Near's lips slightly moved downward, showing a small frown that only lasted a millisecond.

After class, Linda walked out of the classroom while Near was following her. She gave a small encouraging smile to him. "I am sure you at least got a B." She nodded a bit.

"The probability of that is very low." He did not want to explain, his mood currently going downward. He tried to push the emotions aside, not wanting to think on them too much.

She gave a small sigh and shook her head slightly, smiling a bit. "Come on, we should go to our next class." Before she could add any further detail, Near's voice chipped in.

"That is what we are doing. What would be a reason to not go?"

A small chuckle escaped her lips as she didn't say a word. She kept walking, smiling lightly. "It's the last class of the day. I'm glad." She gave a small nod, looking back at Near. "This boarding school is like high school, but they're all colleges classes…don't you think it gets a bit stressful sometimes?"

"No."

She gave a small pout and frown, then a small nod. "I guess… but I mean… I sometimes wish I had school work that was at a high school level. It would make life much easier."

"Then our academic intelligence would not be challenged and we would learn what we already know. That seems like a waste of time, does it not?" He countered a bit harshly, his emotion showing slightly.

"I guess…" Linda let her voice trail, going into the room. She didn't notice his slight change in Near's voice.

Near took a seat in his usual spot. It was the left back corner near the window. This time, however, Linda sat in front of him instead of next to him like the previous class. There were desks and not tables, either.

A guy with red hair sat next to him and a blond sat next to the redhead.

"I sometimes wish I had a break from you for at least two classes, not just one. It just had to be at the beginning of the day and at the end, didn't it?" A sneer remark came Near's way.

Matt said nothing as he looked at the board with a bored expression, his orange goggles covering his green eyes. His fingers started to tap at the desk again.

Near didn't say anything to the insult. Linda, on the other hand, gave a small frown at Mello. She looked back at the board, noticing that the blond would not insult anymore or say any more mean remarks. She silently tapped her foot on the floor, looking over at Matt.

Many teenage girls had crushes on him even though he barely talked to anyone. The only individual he was seen talking with was Mello, and a few other well-known gamers, if those counted. He talked to Near, but that seemed to only be on a blue moon.

As tinted orange eyes shifted toward her direction, her brown eyes looked toward the board again. Two pairs of blue and gray orbs noticed, but kept quiet.

A few seconds later, the teacher walked in and started to teach the lesson. It was the subject of Calculus 3.

With pages filled of notes, the bell rang that sounded for the end of the day.

A smile appeared on Linda's face. "I'll see you tomorrow, Nia! Bye, Matt. Mello." She waved slightly and disappeared from sight. All three noticed that 'Nia' had a lot of emotion behind it, 'Matt' had a bit of emotion behind it, and 'Mello' had been said with slight disgust.

"…" Matt didn't respond to his name, looking around rather bored.

Near didn't wave as he started walking away, the opposite direction that Linda had gone.

Mello made a scoffing noise with his lips and followed his younger adoptive brother, Matt tailing along behind him.

There were no conversation or anything said as the three walked to the spot where L's vehicle would park. That is, until Matt's lips slowly turned into a small smile.

"Hey Mels, do you think that girl likes me?" It was as if his whole personality changed in a few seconds. He went from being quiet to being a rather confident teenager.

_Is it because it is afternoon now and he is not a morning person? That is a possibility…_

"No. She likes big-headed Near." Mello replied with a bored tone, looking at the empty spot where L's vehicle should have been already.

"Well, obviously, but what about me?" Matt's voice seemed to have a small whine with the tone of voice, his green eyes looking directly at Mello, ignoring the gray ones that were watching their very moves closely.

"Doubt it." Mello answered, stretching slightly. He gave a small sigh and asked the question even though he didn't care about the answer that the other held, "Why do you care?"

"Dunno."

_That's a lie right there…he answered too quickly._ Near thought as he finally shifted his eyes away from the red head and focused his eyes on the air in front of them.

"Maybe he has work right now and he can't pick us up." Matt voiced Near's thoughts, making Mello look over.

"Did dad send you a message?"

Matt shrugged slightly, not even bothering to check his phone since it had died during lunch, along with his game console. Both devices battery had drained rather quickly, leaving him with no entertainment.

A small irritated sigh escaped Mello's lips as it formed into a small frown. "Are you serious, Matt? What if you needed your cellphone right now for an emergency?"

"I'm sure your phone is charged to last a couple of hours. If not, then we can use Near's. I mean, he doesn't use the phone at all. Besides, it's not my fault I forgot to charge it."

The white-haired boy didn't say a word as he listened to both of them. It sometimes did surprise Near how observing Matt was. Even though he was lazy, it was as if he knew every single move the boy made. However, they barely interacted as much and if they did, their only connection was either L or Mello.

"Idiot." Came a small mumbled reply as the blond reached into his pocket and took out the black mobile device. "I don't have any messages or missed calls."

"Dunno." Matt replied, shrugging his shoulders. His fingers started to mindlessly tap on his navy blue jeans.

"…" Mello didn't say anything, not wanting to question Near if he had gotten any messages or missed calls and left it at that.

Matt got the hint rather quickly as a small smile tugged at his lips. "Hey Near, did you get any messages or calls? Are any from that cute girl?" His voice sounded as if it was teasing.

Instead of answering the second question then the first, he dug into his pocket and stared at his gray phone. Flipping it open, he stared at the font that read: **_1 New Text Message._**

"Yep." Matt answered for him while a small frown was making its way onto Mello's face.

Near kept his face calm and void of emotion, not looking over when the other spoke. He did wonder how Matt could read his facial features when Mello had to use his actions to figure out what was going through his mind. Mello was the most successful, after L, Matt coming behind the blond, but Matt always seemed to get the quickest answer before any other actions needed to be analyzed.

_Perhaps video games have made him more perceptive? It would explain it._

There was research done on gamers and if a gamer played on average for five to six hours, then their attention to detail would be higher than the person that did not play video games.

Clicking the 'View' button, he answered Matt's last question. "No, I did not. It's a message from L. It says, '**_I apologize for not messaging sooner, but I got busy at the office. Please walk home together and be safe._**'"

Near's lips slightly twitched downwards at it, but the other two already started walking away. Closing his gray phone, he pocketed his cellphone and followed the other two. He remained quiet, until Matt spoke to him directly.

"Why don't you ask that girl out?" He didn't turn his head back to look at the other, his fingers twitching a bit more, as if playing with an invisible game console.

"I do not like her that way." Near stated plainly, wondering why Matt hadn't come to that conclusion himself, or was the question for some _other_ purpose?

_Perhaps it is a distraction from the loss of virtual games._

"She's kind of cute." Matt's voice sounded as if it had a smile covering it. This made Near slightly raise his eye.

"Then why don't _you_ ask her out?" Mello's harsh voice interrupted, sarcasm coating the rhetorical question. "She looked at you _once_, idiot, not _one million_. The zeros matter, they're not invisible."

Then it hit him.

_The questions, the comments about Linda, the way Mello keeps reacting to the questions._

A small frown was slowly forming his lips as he stared at the back of Matt's head.

_He is using Linda as an object to make Mello jealous. Of course, why else?_

By the looks of it, Mello seemed to have no idea, but that did bother Near. He was annoyed by the cockiness that Matt's personality let out and the way he was being mellow about it without showing any signs of his true intentions while using Linda as a pawn. It was sometimes fascinating. Other than L and Mello, Near did have respect for Matt to some extent.

"Come on, Mels. We both know that Near has a better shot at her. Besides, they kind of make a cute couple." It seemed as if the smile on his voice had gotten a bit wider, which irritated the blond walking to his left.

Before Mello could respond with his own remark, Near spoke up. "Perhaps I will."

That made the other two tense slightly, which Near noticed right away. He didn't show any sign of confusion even though the two obviously did not expect that coming.

"Well, there ya go." Matt smiled, turning his head to the left to face Mello and partly to face Near. The composure he had before was quickly regained. His orange-tinted orb looked back into a pair of gray eyes. "When are you going to?"

_Why is he interested in me asking Linda out?_

Deciding to add to the previous lie, he remained quiet to 'think' about the answer.

"When do you think I should make my move, Mello?"

It was a question that made the blond tense slightly again. It was less visible than the one before, but Near's eyes noticed it right away. A sneer remark came after that. "I don't know, whenever you want, big headed idiot."

Gray eyes scanned as the blond turned away and as a small smile appeared on the red head's face. It raised more questions, but he decided to push the topic on a bit further before stopping for the day. "How would you suggest of asking her out?"

This time, Mello turned his head to face him, a visible frown on his face. "You're the smartest kid in school, but you don't know how to ask a girl out, Near? What the hell? Go and rent a book from the library or something, but stop asking me." With that, he turned away, visibly upset.

_How odd…_

The three kept walking, and after a while, both Matt and Mello started talking about their day. Matt spoke freely, not censoring his words as Mello did. He seemed to have a small filter, which Near noticed after a while due to Mello's phrasing of sentences.

Stopping outside of their home, Mello dug into his pocket and took out the key. "What do you want to eat?" The question was meant for both of them, but it seemed that he was only addressing Matt, which Near did not mind.

"Pizza's good. That alright with you, Near?" He asked, turning his head back to look at the youngest out of all of them.

"Pizza is fine." Near repeated, walking inside after both had walked inside. He started walking to his own bedroom, but stopped at Mello's voice.

"Big headed idiot, what do you want on the pizza?"

"Anything is fine."

And with that, he started ascending the stairs, leaving a slightly angered Mello behind his tracks.

Reaching his room, he closed the door quietly behind him, not bothering with the lock. None of them entered his room anyways. Removing his gray backpack and shoes, he put the stuff away, deciding to undress out of the uniform first. The clothes were comfortable to some extent, but his normal wear as the more comfortable to him.

Opening the door to his closet, he took out a pair of pajamas, looking over at the clock on his nightstand. Would they have sex tonight as well? A small frown was given at the thought. He didn't mind if his two adoptive brothers acted in sexual acts, but he wanted his rest.

Gripping the navy vest from where it ended on waist with both hands, he lifted the clothing and threw it onto the floor. The red tie was loosened afterward. Looking at the wall in particular, two pale hands slowly started to undo the buttons, one by one. After all the buttons were unbuttoned, he opened the shirt, revealing his chest.

The door to his room opened as Matt had a smile on his face. It quickly dropped as he stared at the figure in front of him, eyes widening behind the orange goggles. "Uh…" He started, his train of thought disappearing.

Bored gray eyes scanned the other's features, noticing the target of their gaze. Instead of blushing or acting embarrassed, Near used all his will power to not react. "What is it, Matt?" He asked in a monotone voice, trying to get the red head out of the clouds.

"There's a special pizza offer that if we get two pizzas, then we get three drinks," he started, his green eyes trying to move away from the sight in front of them. "What type of soda do you want?" Finally, he moved his gaze from the other's chest up to the gray eyes that were analyzing his every move, making his body slightly tense.

"Any soda is fine." Even though he was trying to act emotionless, a small tint of pink was slowly coming onto his cheeks.

"Alright. Hey, Mels!" Matt called out, closing the door behind him.

_That was odd._

Trying not to think about the thoughts that were slightly racing through his mind, he removed the shirt from his body, throwing it onto the floor, adding to the vest that was already there.

Another thought hit him.

However, before he could analyze, the door opened once again.

"Are you serious, you big headed idiot? You can't choose a soda?" A frown covered the voice as blue eyes met with a pale chest.

This time, gray eyes widened slightly as he stared at Mello's frowning face. Both of their cheeks slightly tinted a pink, which both noticed on the other's face.

"I do not know the options." Near responded honestly, knowing where the other's eyes were trying to not to get glued at his chest, like Matt's had a few minutes ago.

"The basic options." Mello replied harshly, but his voice seemed to have been breaking away slightly. "Besides, you can ask Matt, you idiot."

"…"

When no reply came, a small 'tsk' sound was sounded by the blonde's lips. As the door closed, Near grabbed his button white pajama shirt and put it on, deciding not to analyze the situation further. It would most likely come naturally and the only thing he wanted to do right now was solve a puzzle. He finished buttoning his white shirt after a few seconds.

Unbuttoning the only button on his pants and unzipping them, he let them fall as he grabbed his light blue jeans. He would probably have to get another pair soon, but he would try to wear them as much as possible.

Slipping the clothing on, he reached down and grabbed his uniform, throwing it into a white basket that was beside his closet.

Before he could take out a puzzle, the door opened once again. "Hey, Mello wants you to help set up the table."

Deciding that he would probably not be able to even start the puzzle, much less finish it, that he should not start at all. Turning on his feet, white socks followed the pair of shoes down the stairs.

"Set up the glasses and the plates. Matt and I will go get dressed. I'm sure you can at least do that." Mello commanded, walking out of the kitchen, grabbing Matt's arm and pulling him away.

Gray eyes didn't blink or react to the other's command and insult. Instead, Near walked forward and grabbed the thick plates and glasses that were already out on the sink. He set them on the table, putting them in the proper places. Staring at the table, he noticed that it seemed rather lonely without L.

_I wonder what he's doing right now and if the case is dangerous or hits close to his heart._

Even though he was a smart and great man, it seemed that the world involving criminals mattered more than his own children. Near could understand that to a certain extent, but also knew the psychological effects that would have on a teenage boy.

It already seemed obvious with Matt and Mello sleeping together. A small hand came to wrap around his thin torso, wondering if he would go to extreme lengths to also feel some type of affection. There was Linda, who could easily give him affection, but there was also a teacher by the name of Stephen Gevanni that he could manipulate into giving him affection.

Ignoring the part of his mind that wanted to have a connection with another human, he put his hand down and made his way to the stairs, ignoring the action that made it obvious that he was protecting himself from the thoughts or at least trying to comfort himself physically. However, the sound of the doorbell stopped him in his tracks. An eye was slowly raised.

_The pizza really come here that quickly?_

Looking around, Near grabbed the euro bills and stared at the door. He knew that the delivery man or woman usually said the total amount, handed the box over, the bills exchanged, and then the delivery man or woman would leave. However, it seemed that Near was slightly frozen in his tracks. He disliked interacting with people face-to-face, much less random strangers.

A hand snatched the colorful bills out of his hand. "Give me that if you're just going to stand around and do nothing," came the harsh remark from his older adoptive brother. Without saying anything else, Mello opened the door and gave a smile to the woman that had the box. He handed over the bills, saying, "Keep the change."

After closing the door, he walked past Near, into the kitchen. Near watched as he analyzed his movement, but said nothing. Turning slightly, he followed the other into the same room. "…"

"That's how you do it." Mello said, setting the boxes in the middle of the table. He was currently in black jeans and a black zipped sleeve-less jacket. "Are you seriously useless?" He asked, the harshness gone with a small hint of curiosity replacing it.

"No." Near answered, knowing that the question was possibly rhetorical, taking his seat down on the chair. He pulled his left leg up, a hand going to the white locks to twirl a stand of hair.

"…" Mello didn't say anything as he sat down, opening the box for both of them. "Matt!" He called out.

Mello grabbed two slices of pizza while Near only grabbed one slice.

"Mm."came the noise from the gamer. The gaming console was making noises every time the buttons were pressed. He didn't say anything as he sat down, the orange-tinted eyes never turning away from the beautiful colors that were in front of him.

"Matt, you have to eat." The voice sounded a bit worried, more than it had intended.

Near slowly picked up the slice of pizza, watching both individuals in front of him interact, and started to make a conclusions.

_Is this was the way how a husband and wife possibly interacted with one another?_

However, without an actual data, the conclusion did have no evidence to support the thesis trying to be proved.

"In a bit. I'm almost—" his voice was cut off when the game was snatched out his hands. "Hey!" He raised his voice, not intending to. "Give it back!" Two black gloved hands reached out for it.

Near noticed that Matt had his usual clothing on: black and white stripped long sleeve shirt and jeans.

Mello shook his head and clicked a few buttons on the game, laying the turned off device down on the table. "Now eat, you idiot."

"I hope you saved my game."

After taking a few more bites, Near got to the crust and another slice of pizza appeared in front of him. His eyes slightly blinked as he stared at the object as if it was a foreign substance. Looking up, he stared at a pair of blue eyes that were looking away. "L will get upset if you don't eat."

"…" Near said nothing as he looked back to the slice in front of him, wondering if this was the actual reason Mello gave him another piece. L was Mello's inspiration and he was the man that he wanted to be when he grew up, even if he was absent most of the time.

"You too, Matt." He quickly added, grabbing another slice of pizza and putting it in front of the slightly-pouting red head.

A sigh escaped him as he grabbed a liter soda and poured it onto the glass. "You know I don't like eating a lot, Mels."

A frown came from the blond, which made Matt shut up immediately.

Near kept staring the interaction, a small smile coming onto his features due a different conclusion he concluded.

"Hm?" Matt's eyes looked over at the white-haired individual, curiosity and confusion written on his face. "What's so amusing?"

By this point, Near was already staring at them with his emotionless face.

The question made Mello turn around, a small amount of confusion coming from his features while he kept staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing." Near replied, taking a bite of the next pepperoni pizza slice.

"I'm pretty sure it's not. You smiled." Matt explained, leaning a bit over the table slightly, not satisfied with the answer he had gotten. "Come on, what is it?"

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to avoid the discussion in front of him, he answered their question. "It is amusing how Mello is the oldest one to take responsibility out of both of us, Matt, because you are the oldest out of all of us and in tradition, the oldest one is supposed to take care of the younger ones. It is another detail that I have noticed that adds to your lazy persona."

Not being able to hold a chuckle in, Mello covered his mouth slightly, a smile on his features. He looked over at Matt, who looked as if he had been slapped in the face by the small adoptive brother.

"…" Matt was speechless, which was something that rarely happened if he was in the mood to speak. His face also seemed to be dumbstruck while having a small hint of annoyance. He pulled back to his spot, looking down at the pepperoni pizza slices in front of him.

Ignoring Matt's reaction, Near tried his best to control his lips that wanted to twitch into a smile.

Before coming here with L, Mello and he were close. They all were, but after the Wammy House, everything changed.

The day of the adoption was a rather odd one with the exam. The three got each other's scores. Near noticed that Mello was not far behind, only needing two more points on what was graded and Matt was ten points away from Near. However, it seemed to upset Mello inside a lot because after the adoption happened, he barely spoke to him anymore. They weren't as close and it felt as if everything they had back at the Wammy House was now gone.

Finishing the crust, Near poured himself a glass of soda and started to drink it.

"So, how's your day _now_, Matt?" Mello teased, a smug smile on his face.

"Screw you." Matt answered, frowning a bit, taking a slice of pizza from his plate.

A chuckle escaped the blond, which gave Near a sense of satisfaction inside.

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence as the slices of pizza disappeared each from Matt's and Mello's plates while Near's soda disappeared slowly. In the end, Mello ate three slices, Near and Matt both ate two.

Reaching over for his white plate to wash in the sink, Near noticed that Mello grabbed it before he could take it back. "…" Even though he was quiet, inside, he was questioning what Mello would do with it.

"…Since you're so useless at paying for a pizza delivery, I'll wash the plates."

"Hey Mels, will you wash mine?" Matt's voice broke through.

"No."

"But—"

Before listening to both of them argue, Near turned away from them and walked to his room, muttering a small, "Thank you." He didn't wait until Mello replied to him, knowing that he wouldn't. The stairs gave his heart a quicker beat, but something else was there.

Other than the fast beating heart, there was also a fluttering sensation. Not understanding the emotion completely, Near walked into his room and put a hand over where his heart was supposed to be. He knew that it wasn't a stroke or a heart attack, reading the symptoms well in multiple sources; primary and secondary sources that were from books to the World Wide Web.

Wanting to make sure that he had not been missing any visible symptoms, Near walked toward the mirror and froze slightly in his tracks.

There, in the mirror, on his reflection, showed a small natural-looking smile. It was rather intriguing, but it was also something that he did not calculate while looking in the mirror. Now, the questions were starting…

_Why am I smiling?_

_Why am I…happy?_

_Is this called happiness?_

Near knew he had emotions and he could read the basics one, but the complicated ones he could not read. They were confusing and the chemical and psychology sciences did not answer the questions he had.

The fluttering slowly dimmed and Near put his hand down. Looking over at his backpack, he knew he had responsibilities to do.

His homework only took two hours to complete, but it was a slight challenge. Most of the homework was in the notes that he had taken or knowledge he had previously learned and there were only two questions that involved true critical thinking with "what if's" scenarios.

After that, he completed his puzzle that was completely white except for the 'L' that was in cloister black font in the upper left corner. He played around for a few hours until the clock struck 9:00P.M.

On another night, where he had more rest than before, he would sleep until the clock read 11:00P.M, but due to yesterday's events, he wanted to get ten hours of rest before starting a new day.

Putting his puzzle in the usual spot, which was on top of his school desk, Near turned off the light that was next to the front door.

Lying down on the bed, he looked at the ceiling of his room. The moonlight was enough to make the room glow of angelic whiteness.

Closing his eyes, he relaxed his body and tugged the blanket up onto his body. A small sigh escaped his lips as he turned on his side. His body was now facing the wall.

_Creak._

_Creak._

Gray eyes opened and narrowed as they glared at the wall, an annoyed expression not even concealing itself.

"Again?" Near frowned, gripping his bed sheets lightly. Giving a sigh, he closed his eyes and tried to ignore the grunts, moans, and creaking of the bed.

Just as he was on the verge of sleep, he heard something that he had not heard previous nights or the night before, which made his body tense up every muscle it had. He was too shocked to analyze why he heard what he heard and stayed up the entire night.

It was a moan from Mello and a grunt from Matt.

"_Near!_"


	2. Dramatic Irony

Gray eyes looked at the numbers that were a bright red. The eyes never looked away as he kept staring at the time that did not move, the numbers only changing after sixty seconds.

The clock mocked him slightly, the time reading: 4:59AM.

There was only one more minutes until he could get up, until the other housemates would get up, but he would not. Reaching over, he clicked the alarm off and sat up, rubbing his eyes a bit. He recalled last night's events clearly in his mind.

Matt and Mello had moaned or grunted his name while having sexual intercourse, perhaps, or some type of sexual activity that Near did not want to think about.

The thought itself was something that he disliked thinking about and in the end, he did not want to go into detail about it. He wanted to stay away from the thought for once, not caring about what the conclusion of the analysis meant. He knew that if he did analyze the situation, then there would be no going back to the state of mind that he had before.

_Beep!_

_Beep!_

It was not his alarm clock – no, it was Mello's. Matt would wait until the last thirty minutes to get up, mostly after last night.

A small frown came onto his lips as he pushed the thought away. Staring at the white ceiling, he made no move to get up. Instead, he listened to the other individual move around in the room, probably limping from the previous night's act.

The frown got slightly bigger as his face visibly showed disgust. It was not that he was against the act of homosexuality, but being adoptive brothers did not help the situation. The whole school thought they were all blood relatives, not adopted. If anyone found out about Matt and Mello having coitus, then they would be shamed and the word "incest" and other racial slurs would come out of individual's mouths.

Before analyzing anything further that involved the criminal law, he heard a door open and close. Mello would probably get a surprise today by having hot water instead of cold water. The home was a good home, but it had some flaws.

One flaw was the water dispense of hot and cold water. When one was showing with hot water, then the other showers would only give out cold water, which L said he would fix, but never got to it due to his job.

Near thought about their adoptive father, L, and shifted a bit on his bed. He knew that he would not take the news well if he ever did find out. Last night, no, a few hours ago, which was at three in the morning, he came in. Ever since then, Near could hear him walking around here and there.

Reaching up with a pale hand, the teenage boy rubbed his eyes and gave a small sigh. Slowly climbing out of bed, Near slowly stood up and stretched. He gave a small sigh, not being able to get the moaned or grunted name out of his mind.

Deciding that he needed to distract himself and that L probably needed assistance with breakfast, the boy got up and went into the bathroom, brushing his teeth. Afterwards, he left his room, but stopped in his tracks as the door nearby opened.

"Mmm." Matt made the noise, rubbing his green eyes. He was shirtless and was only wearing checkered black and red boxers.

"…" Near said nothing, almost as if he was frozen in his tracks; it was not because he stared at the attractive chest, which was a very small percent on why he was frozen, but hearing the noise that reminded him of last night was what got to him.

Even though they only said his name in pleasure once, there was a great symbol behind it all. It raised a lot of questions, but in the end, he kept pushing his thoughts away instead of analyzing the topic further.

He turned his gaze away and started walking, hoping that the other individual would not call him by name or even notice him. However, Matt was rather intelligent, more than Linda, Near knew, and noticed right away.

"Hey, good morning."

With that, Near stopped in his tracks, but did not look over. He gave a small nod as a response, then started walking again. He noticed that the other didn't have his orange goggles on, which was something new.

Yesterday, even though he did not have them at breakfast, Near knew that they were in his backpack. Descending the stairs, Near walked into the kitchen, met with a pair of black eyes that had matching black circles under them.

"Good morning, Near. You're a bit early." L's voice was filled with slight shock. It was not what he was used to hearing every morning.

"He wants to help you out with breakfast." Matt's voice called from the left of Near, an arm wrapping itself around Near's shoulders as a foreign body was pushed into him.

Near tensed up slightly and his cheeks slightly felt hot. The aroma of Matt was very odd. He smelled of smoke, chocolate, a normal scent, which was probably his own, and a foreign one that Near was used to – Mello's scent. There was pheromones and possibly other hormones present, but Near did not go into analyzing it further.

"That is very kind of you. Would you like to help us, Matt?" L questioned as a small gentle smile was made on his face.

"Nope." Matt responded, yawning and pulling his arm away from Near before the white-haired teenage boy could react. He walked over to the plain white refrigerator and opened it, grabbing a water bottle. Closing it, he turned to walk back.

Just as Near was calming down, Matt pushed another button. A small smirk was clearly visible to gray eyes that were scanning the red head's facial expressions.

It could have meant a lot of things, but the physical reaction was Near's body slightly tensed up. It was almost automatic, but he didn't know why.

_Perhaps it was the glint in Matt's green eyes?_

Pushing the thoughts away, he looked over at L, who had his back turned, flipping pancakes on the stove.

The confusion was put aside as he grabbed plates from the cabinets. As much as he wanted to push the thought away, he could not, and he was thankful when L started speaking.

"How was school yesterday, Near?" L's voice was still gentle and there seemed to be a small hint of happiness behind all the tiresome tone.

"It was fine." Near answered, hoping that L would keep the conversation going to distract him from his thoughts.

"Did you learn anything yesterday?"

"Not much."

Noticing that L was not going to say much or put enough energy into asking another question as a new pancake hit the pan, Near decided to ask a question himself.

"How was work?"

L's eyes slightly widened in surprise, a smile coming onto his features, "My day at work was tiring. I had to sit on a table more than twelve hours, which is never a fun thing to do. I did eat cake when someone offered a slice to me, though."

Placing the plates down onto their spaces like yesterday, Near gave a small nod at the information. L barely talked about work itself, but when he did talk about it, Near noticed that he relaxed slightly. Near could imagine the demanding of the job, but also the emotional stress and toll it took on a person.

L always had dark circles under his eyes and it upset Mello the most, Near the second, and Matt did care to a certain extent, but mostly kept quiet about it like the other two.

"That's good." Near pushed himself to comment, not wanting to talk that much today. He noticed when L smiled more, knowing that he understood his children deeper than they understood themselves. However, Matt and Mello still had the secret relationship going on that L had not figured out himself. Near wondered when L was going to comment on it or even notice the clues.

Near had been given the biggest and most obvious clue of all, but that didn't mean that he didn't notice other signs as well. Like yesterday, how Matt tried to get Mello jealous.

"You should go shower. I'll take care of everything here." L said, noticing that one of his children was distracted. "Unless if you want to talk about what is on your mind?"

A small pink blush made itself onto Near's features as he thought about the single moan and grunt that was his name from the other two individuals. Instead of giving a comment or even having a chance to comment, L spoke again.

"Is it a girl?"

Near knew that the question could have a few meanings, such as having a girlfriend, wanting a girlfriend, and even having troubles with a girlfriend, or those same contexts, but only as friends, could be seen in the question. Thinking about the answer very carefully, Near answered, "No."

Almost immediately, L asked, "Are you sure?"

To Near, this meant if, 'If you are lying, then please reconsider lying to me.' In the sweetest tone that a father could muster, but Near knew differently. L was used to liars and his children were his no exception. L went to college and got many bachelor's degrees, plus with being a genius, it did not help the cause and he only asked what a father would, or a detective, depending on how one saw it.

"Yes, I am positive." Near replaced the word, reassuring L that he was not lying. Turning to leave, he stopped when L asked another question.

"Is it a boy?"

Near knew that this question could be bended easily into a lie. It was not _a_ boy, but two boys. However, Near respected L enough to not lie to him. "Yes."

"…" L said nothing, flipping a pancake on the pan.

With that, Near left up to his room, knowing that Mello was probably out of the shower. Making sure, he knocked at their door, feeling a bit nervous. _Why do I feel nervous?_Before he could analyze the answers he had, the door opened.

"What?" A tired-sounding voice spoke to reveal Mello. He was wrapped in a black towel that was gripped by a hand to his waist while another towel, white and smaller, was around his neck.

"…" Near felt a slight blush come onto his features as he took a bit longer than usual to speak. "Is Matt showering?" He finally answered.

"Yep." Mello answered, closing the door.

"…"

Turning on his heel, the teenage boy went to his own room to wait silently. He grabbed another uniform, staring at all the others that were there. He had five pairs for all the five days he would attend class, one gone.

It was a bit harsher than normal universities or colleges that had the same curriculum. Normal colleges and universities, depending on the schedule of the student, had only four days of school. It was Monday through Thursday, not Monday through Friday.

The classes all had different expectations to meet and if one did not expect it, then one would get a zero percent or an F. It was that simple and no teachers gave exceptions. That was the school policy.

That did not annoy Near, but one thing did. The essay's works cited. It was not the body of the essay itself, no. He knew in-text citation and knew how to use a works cited, but when one is a smart individual and needs to state where they found the source, it was difficult.

Near remembered one essay the year prior that he needed to find everything on the five page essay and it lead him to search for articles that he read from age six. It was a time wasting thing to do since the information was already in his mind, but Near knew the purpose of it. It was to not plagiarize and it was part of the rules at the school.

A small knock came from the door and he looked over. He noticed that he had not moved from the spot in front of the closet, where he was standing. Instead of hearing a voice and footsteps walking away, the shadow remained there. He put his uniform on the bed for the meantime.

Reaching the door after a few steps, Near turned the metallic silver knob and opened the door. There, in front of him, stood Matt. He was shirtless, holding a towel from his waist, and he was still dripping from the water.

A smile made his features as gray eyes finally trailed upward to meet emerald green ones.

"I'm done showering. If you wanted to shower that badly, then why not join me?"

Near said nothing as he tried to read the other's smile; it was almost a smirk, but something else was there. He could not place his thoughts on it.

"Are you going to keep staring at me?"

That made the smaller adoptive brother slightly tense up, the hand on the knob gripping it a bit tighter. Before he could respond, the red head made another remark, but not verbally, rather – physically.

The smile slowly turned into a smirk.

Near was about to close the door, then he heard the sentence that made him freeze.

"Now you know how I felt."

As he walked away, Near's gray eyes followed his movements. He did not analyze them as he closed the door and turned to face his white drawer.

The words kept going through his mind as he tried to push the words away. The emotional connection with Matt and Mello was not helping. A small frown made his way onto his features. As he took out the socks he would need, he threw the pair on the bed.

Walking into the bathroom, he shut the door behind him. As he walked forward, he stripped of his clothing, wishing that the morning wasn't this difficult without sleep. It was their entire fault and now a small sigh escaped his lips. No matter what Near thought, the analysis would be waiting for him, wouldn't it?

Instead of thinking, he tried to clear his mind as the water poured down from the showerhead. Walking inside, he closed his eyes as white locks made themselves longer. He couldn't help but wonder about the analysis. It would be better now, where he was not bothered, than later.

_Both Matt_**_and_**_Mello had moaned my name last night while participating in some sexual activity. However, before that, Matt and Mello had walked in on me shirtless and both of them had odd reactions. Perhaps it is the hormones making them think that way about my body? It is possible, given their ages and chemical imbalances that they are going through. There was another clue that Matt left this morning for me, though._

"_Now you know how I felt."_

_What does it mean?_

A small sigh escaped his lips as irritation was getting to him. He opened his eyes and looked up at the showerhead, knowing that the time was limited on hot water and on how much he could stay showering. Knowing that he probably had at least fifteen minutes, he closed his eyes again, trying to think about the answer to his question.

_Matt was shirtless in front of me, only in a towel. I did stare for a bit, but I do not feel anything toward him; no romantic or sexual feelings. At least not what Matt and Mello feel for each other._

_Would that be a fair assumption?_

Another sigh escaped his lips as he could not come up with a conclusion. It was too difficult to deal with emotions and to analyze them? That was harder.

Sure, he could link the hormones to both of their actions, but that that would not answer the questions he wanted. He knew that there was something missing, but what?

"Are you seriously going to take forever in the shower?" came a voice to his right.

Gray eyes shot open as Near looked over, his eyes slightly widened. He froze in his place as he did not have enough time to put up his invisible walls in his mind, the emotions becoming visible on his facial features.

Lips slowly turned into a sly smirk. "Why are you so shocked to see me? Is it because you're more exposed now?"

Matt's green eyes were locked on with the ones that were quickly becoming dull.

"Why are you interrupting me?"

The answer was almost automatic, which made Near raise suspicion almost immediately. "You didn't invite me to join you."

A small frown was made onto his lips. "I asked a question first; now get out if you don't have anything to say."

"Actually, I do. L left and breakfast is getting cold. Mello also said that if you don't hurry up, we're leaving without you."

The smile remained, which irritated Near. However, knowing the statement was a rather serious one, he didn't say anything. Turning away, he reached over for the soap.

"…"

Just as he grabbed it, Near turned his head slightly to see if Matt was still there.

He wasn't.

His body slightly relaxed without his older adoptive brother there, eyes closing. Had he been tensed? Then again, anybody would tense up if someone walked in.

However, there was another puzzle piece that made Near think.

"_You didn't invite me to join you."_

Near knew the definition of flirting too well, but to actually hear it or recognize it when couples did it? No. The only way he would know is if the couple or individuals that were flirting were in front of him, telling the obvious signs with body language.

Finishing up his shower, Near turned off the handles, not wanting to waste too much time. It was obvious that the three had to walk to school and that Mello wouldn't wait a minute longer. Time was of the essence and every minute they had left counted to the blond. Near didn't mind, knowing that time was important, but Mello wanted to be at school early to hang out with friends before classes started.

Walking out, he grabbed he towel and wrapped it around his body, letting the droplets of water soak through the fluffy whiteness. After drying himself off, he grabbed the uniform and put it on, not even looking at the mirror as he grabbed his backpack and headed down the stairs.

"Hurry up, Near." Mello spoke, his hand on the door. There was a pancake in his left hand. "You can eat at school," He added, not wanting to waste more time.

Near didn't say anything as he walked over, his hair slightly damp from before.

_The sentence sounded like he cared, which is rare for him. I wonder…what is he up to?_

Before Near could process the sentence further, he walked out with the other two. The journey to their school began as the pace was a bit fast, but not too fast so Near could stay behind.

"Hey, Mels," Matt spoke up, breaking the silence between all of them, then continued after pausing for the effect, "Did you enjoy yourself last night?"

_There it is. A smile with his question, what is he up to?_

Instead of the blond next to the redhead tensing, he turned his head to the right, glaring at both orange eyes. The look said it all.

_Mello's upset. Does he see through Matt's words?_

Just then, the blue eyes shifted back to meet a pair of gray ones. Quickly, he turned back forward, punching his best friend next to him. Matt couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips, icy blue eyes turning cold to glare. The chuckle had already escaped and the smile was still there as proof, wide on Matt's lips.

Near barely noticed the blush on Mello's face, but caught it when the glare was headed Matt's way. Now, he couldn't stop his thought process as he started to conclude the earlier actions he did not want to.

_Mello knows Matt's game. Matt said that sentence earlier and even walked in while I was showering…_

A small blush came onto his features, but his emotionless mask still controlled his face. His true emotions were never betrayed by his face.

_If Matt wanted to get Mello jealous, then why not use Linda? That was working perfectly before. Then again, jealousy isn't Matt's main goal here. Matt flirted while Mello was out earshot, yes, but…_

The blush slowly turned more evident on his cheeks, but he kept trying to push the emotions at bay.

_They_**_both_**___moaned my name. Coitus is an act of intimacy and it's a symbol of love, acceptance, and it helps bring two individuals closer together, both physically and emotionally. It_**_satisfies_**_the need that the bond requires and it stimulates the brain with a lot of pleasure, like cocaine. Then, what would be the reason to moan my name? It doesn't make any sense._

As he kept thinking about his thoughts, he was brought back by Matt's voice.

"Near, you alright? You're blushing."

With the question and suddenness, Mello turned his head slightly to look at the other. His expression was currently relaxed, but as soon as gray eyes met with blue, a small frown was on his lips.

"Yes." Near answered, not wanting to give too much information away.

"You sure?" Matt pressed, seeing the discomfort in the other's body language, even if they were minute intervals.

"Yes." Near answered again. He was sure what Matt meant and was glad that his monotone voice didn't show the emotions he felt. He wasn't sure what was wrong, to be honest. His body was slightly feeling tingly from the thoughts and the images in his mind – he couldn't stop them.

"_Near!"_

The sound made his eyes slightly widened as he could hear it vividly and clearly; the grunt from Matt and the moan from Mello. Completely coming to a stop, he stared into the distance as his mind flooded him with image of both of them. A small blush resurfaced onto his cheeks. The tingly sensation was slowly moving toward between his legs. A hand reflexively came up to twirl a lock of pure white hair.

"Near?" Matt and Mello asked, stopping a few feet in front of him, noticing the other's expression.

Blinking once, he felt his eyes slowly dull again. He couldn't help but feel that they had emotion before them, but which emotion?

_They must have noticed._

Near didn't say anything as he slowly started walking toward, feeling the tingly sensation on his skin. "It's nothing." He responded to them, walking past them.

_I'm becoming sexually aroused? That is possible, but why would it be because of_**_Matt_**_and_**_Mello_**_? This isn't right. We're all adopted and we're brothers. I am_**_not_**_supposed to have these feelings. Even though it is not incest by blood or possibly by law, it is not right. These are most likely hormonal imbalances that my body is going through. It is sexual desire and nothing else. Everything about this is logical._

"Big headed idiot." Mello spoke, making the teenage boy break out of his thoughts.

Looking over to his brother, he stopped in his tracks. He was about to walk past the school, but it seemed that Mello had caught him on time by using his demanding voice.

_This isn't good. I am acting out of character. I need to control my emotions and actions better._

"Are you sure you're alright, Near?" Matt spoke, slowly reaching over and putting his hand on the other's shoulder.

Gray eyes slowly met up with a pair or green eyes that were almost completely hidden behind orange lenses. "Yes, I am alright." Without offering anything else, Near couldn't help but notice that the touch Matt was giving him.

_It's a symbol of worrying in body language; however, I am feeling as if my temperature is going higher. Why does his touch have this effect? Is this the reason why Mello goes to him?_

Pulling away from his touch, Near walked into the building of the school, leaving the redhead and blond behind, for once.

"Nia!" Linda greeted as he was at the door, a smile was on her features.

"Excuse me." He politely declined her presence and interaction, walking past her and into his homeroom anthropology class. He sat at his seat, taking out the materials from previous classes.

Opening his notes, he started to read them to push the thoughts aside and to distract himself from the sexual arousal his body wanted to proudly pronounce.

Trying to relax his emotions, he didn't look over when a redhead individual came inside with a certain blond.

"You really got Linda worried." Matt said while his eyes were void of emotion.

Near couldn't help but look over at Mello, who had a frown on his face. He also had his arms crossed against his chest defensively. "Seriously, Matt? He's fine."

"…"

"You sure, Near?" He slowly pulled up the desk that was connected with the chair up to his youngest brother.

"Yes." Near answered, knowing that the sensations were starting to go away.

"You can talk to us about anything." Matt reached out and grabbed Near's hand. The warmness from his touch sent more sensations downward. He didn't pull his hand away, knowing that it would give Matt and Mello another hint. He didn't want to be humiliated. Besides, Matt could have been playing with emotions right now like Mello was.

When students started to walk into the classroom, the redhead pulled his hand back and moved the desk too. He sat in his spot, turning to face the front board. Mello took a seat next to him, not giving Near a glance of what happened earlier. All three of them acted the same as yesterday.

"Good morning, class." The teacher entered the classroom, a smile on her face. "Today, we will continue the unit of anthropological kinships. Does anyone have any questions from the last lesson?"

A hand shot upwards almost immediately after the female teacher had asked the question. "I have one! It doesn't relate to this topic, but may I ask it?" A teenager's voice broke through the silenced room.

"Yes, you may." The teacher smiled, giving a small nod. She started to move a few things on the computer to bring up the presentation.

"Is incest legal anywhere?"

The question made Near turn his head slightly, thinking about it. He did know there were laws that were banished in certain countries around the world. For the majority, however, incest was a taboo.

"Yes." The teacher answered.

Near stared to think about the countries that had incest, naming them one by one in his head. Naming the countries, he looked over to see if the other child would ask what they were. Orange tinted eyes locked with gray ones and Near quickly felt the same sensations he had earlier.

_Why is Matt making me feel this way? I don't understand._

Holding the stare with the gamer, Near finally averted his gaze to the board when Matt stopped looking at him and turned his attention over to Mello's notebook. It seemed that he had taken the notes to the question.

As the lights were turned off by the teacher, Near shifted slightly in his seat. He wondered why the heat in his body was rising, but had a feeling he knew what it was. Trying to control his body that had sexual urges was difficult. His mind couldn't help but think about the hands that touched him twice in the morning.

Shifting in his seat again, Near looked at the board. The presentation was the same from the previous class. The teacher had always put too much slides, but some students were grateful for the information. As he shifted again, he shivered slightly as his thighs brushed against each other.

_Oh no._

Near's body tensed up slightly, which seemed to have not gathered any attention. The teacher was already starting the lesson, but his own body wouldn't listen to what she was saying. His body needed and wanted to be touched and Near would have cursed under his breath if he were alone. However, he showed no emotion, his body temperature slowly rising at the need it wanted.

Without even thinking, a pale hand shot upwards quickly.

"Yes, Near?" the teacher paused her lesson, the hand on the clicker that would change the slides.

"May I go to the restroom?"

"Yes, you may." She seemed slightly bothered by it, but went back to her lesson in full detail.

Near didn't stick around much as he slowly got up from his seat and walked out of the classroom. He didn't even care about Matt or Mello's reaction. As he walked throughout the hallways, he could feel that the intensity of his body was slowly rising. As pushed the door open, he went into a stall closing it behind himself and locked the stall by sliding the black knob into place.

A sigh escaped his lips as he pressed his back to the door, his eyes closing. He could feel what he wanted and he wasn't sure if he wanted to go to that part of his mind yet. Opening his eyes again, he stared down at his navy pants. A small dent was making itself known as his cheeks slowly got tinted with pink.

At hearing the main door open, Near's lips slowly turned into a small frown. He had no idea what to do and now somebody was interrupting.

_It seems that today isn't my day._

Thinking of what to do through the hot fog that was clouding his thoughts, he heard a small knock at his stall. Turning his eyes, he pulled away from the door and unlocked it. Opening it, it revealed a certain red haired individual.

"Well, I'm glad you're not vomiting." Matt smiled a bit, taking a step back. "Hm?" he questioned, trailing his eyes downward to the small dent in Near's pants. His cheeks slowly turned a tint color as he looked up at Near's emotionless eyes. "Near?" he questioned, not knowing what else to ask his younger sibling.

"…"

He wasn't sure what to say or what to answer. He knew that Matt probably had a lot of experience, but he wasn't going to such low standards of asking what to do. Plus, they were at school and if he was caught, there would be a lot of questions. There would be questions from L mostly since he had a big influence on the school. The school would give him all responsibility after reporting it and possibly hand out a few days of detention, but nothing too major.

"Near, do you need help with _that_?" He questioned, trailing his eyes downward again.

"No, it should go away on its own."

"Obviously, but it would be faster if you took care of it, then went back to class. The teacher is going to get suspicious if you don't come back after possibly an hour." Matt shrugged, giving his input on the situation.

"…I don't know how to take care of it." He confessed, knowing that Matt had a point, but he wasn't sure how to take care of this problem. He knew that masturbation was the key, but he had never read into enough detail to know how males and females did it.

Matt blinked slightly and gave a small chuckle, his cheeks turning into a harsher pink as he stared at his brother in front of him. "Do I have your consent and permission to touch you to help?"

Near tensed up slightly about it, but thought back to earlier to Matt's conclusion that the teacher would get suspicious. He was hesitant, but slowly gave a small nod. "You may."

"Alright." With that, Matt turned around and locked the door to the main bathroom. He walked over to Near, slowly wrapping his arms from behind. Pulling him close to his chest, he leaned back on the wall, near the sinks. "I'll be gentle, I promise." He whispered by his ear, making Near shiver with pleasure. Sliding down the wall, he brought Near down with him, opening his legs so the other could be in between them.

A blush was slowly spreading into his features as he tried to relax into the other's touch. He was still rather tense, but his thoughts were slowly becoming more heated and foggier. Instead of trying to fight against them, Near closed his eyes. He gave a small nod, knowing that it was what Matt had wanted from him.

Soon, hands slowly started trailing all over his chest. It was becoming harder for Near to breath and he knew that the sensations were becoming too powerful. A small pant escaped his lips as he felt his body becoming hotter. Leaning back on Matt, he gasped slightly, trying to take control of his reactions. He did not want to submit to the emotions.

"Be sure to keep your sounds in…" Matt spoke by his ear. Near gave a small nod, listening to Matt's wisdom.

_He sounds strained. Is he also getting sexually aroused? It would explain it…_

Before another thought entered his mind, a small gasp escaped his lips as he felt a hand go between his legs. The hand slowly groped the stiffening organ. A moan was quickly caught in his throat. Reaching with his hands, he slowly gripped Matt's navy pants slowly with two hands. He kept his eyes shut tightly, trying to concentrate on controlling his facial features. He knew he was making faces due to the pleasure and even though Matt was behind him, he didn't want to show himself too much.

"Relax…" Matt's voice cooed, trying make the other relax, but Near could hear the strain behind his word. He kept moving his hand rubbing up and down the fabric of the navy pants gently. The sounds that Near was making sent shivers and waves of pleasure throughout his own body. He was starting to get turned on by the panting breaths of the other, but controlled his own breathing. Both hands slowly moved below the navy vest and light blue button up shirt, raising the fabric as his hands went upwards. Two hands slowly started massaging at the sensitive nipples and a small smile came onto his features as they became erect under his finger pads.

After a few more minutes, Near started to regain control of the situation that was being presented. The hands slowly pinched at his nipples and he closed his eyes in pleasure, small pants escaping his lips. He didn't moan and slowly loosened his grip on Matt's jeans. He slowly shifted backwards, wondering what was picking at his mind at the moment.

_These sensations are wonderful, but why do I feel as if I am forgetting something?_

Before he could analyze the thought further, he felt his body shiver a lot when he felt something press against his back. The blush that was slowly disappearing from his cheeks reappeared. He didn't look back, but felt Matt's lips next to his ear, a small smile on them.

"Listening to you turns me on," he admitted shamelessly, answering Near's silent question.

"…"

Near looked down as the hands that were on his chest slowly trailed to his navy pants once again, the feeling of disappointment barely visible on his face. The silent teenager watched as fingers effortlessly unbuttoned his only button and zipped down the zipper, relieving the fabric that was starting to hurt him. As a hand slipped inside his white boxers to grip him, his breath hitched slightly. The coolness of Matt's hand was something different. Subconsciously, he spread his legs far while bringing his knees up, losing himself in the pleasure.

"Mmm." came the moan from Matt's lips that were next to his ear. Near shivered more at this, losing his common sense as he closed his eyes and leaned back on the gamer. "Hey, Near…do you mind touching me too?"

At the question, eyes shot open. His vision was slowly started to get blurry with lust as he could barely think straight. Matt's hand gripped around his shaft, slowly pumping up and down at a slow pace. As his breaths became more hitched and quicker, he gave a small nod, giving into it.

_If Matt is doing this for me…I should as well. It is the returning the kind gesture, correct?_

"Awesome." Matt's voice came down to a whisper. "Turn around and sit on my lap." He ordered, which made the white haired teenager to shiver.

Sitting back up, he turned around, a small frown forming on his lips as Matt's hand let go of him. Straddling the other's lips, Near leaned against him. He moved his hands down, starting to work on Matt's pants as the hand claimed his member again. His breath hitched a bit at the sensations. His hands moved a bit quicker, knowing that the fogginess would come back. If it did, Near knew that he wouldn't be able to return the favor without some type of help. He didn't want to be below Matt, even in the state of euphoria.

"Just do what I'm doing, Near." he breathed, anticipation coating every single word.

Closing his eyes to enjoy the hand that was working on between his legs, he panted a bit faster, coating Matt's hand with a clear fluid. He couldn't help the pleasure that was coursing through his body. Reaching inside the two pieces of fabric, gentle fingers slowly wrapped around a hard and hot organ. It made Near shiver in the other's arms at the feeling, his own pleasure building up more as Matt kept his hand moving, small panting noises next to his ear.

"That feels so fucking good." He whispered; his voice strained from the pleasure.

Near said nothing, taking a note that Matt had used profanity. He started moving his hand up and down, the pleasure building and building at the bottom of his stomach.

Both of their breaths hitched as the hands kept moving in a certain rhythm. Nothing was heard other than the panting noises that both of them created. Matt did grunt every now and then, trying not to curse under his breath. Near's hand was getting coated with a clear liquid, the heat overwhelming the gamer.

"Near…" Matt moaned one more time, feeling his climax slowly building up in his stomach. He started thrusting upward into the other's hand, losing himself in the waves of pleasure that were throughout his body. Near's eyes slightly widened at the action as his body tensed up, but he quickly relaxed as the hand around his shaft moved quicker. It was in sync with his thrusts.

"…"

Near wasn't sure what to say or if he even wanted to moan the other individual's name. Closing his eyes again, he moved his hand the opposite way of Matt's thrusting, his hand gripping a bit tighter. Something inside of him churned as his whole body tightened and spasmed. He felt the liquid shoot out of his body as he reached up to Matt's ear and gasp.

"Ah, fuck!" Matt groaned and gave a thrust upwards one last time, hitting orgasm after Near. He panted, staying still and relaxed his own body.

Near stayed against Matt for a while, trying to catch his breath. Stilling his breath after a while, he slowly pulled away and started to fix his own pants. Standing up, he washed his hands and grabbed a paper towel, rubbing both of his hands together. His eyes became emotionless as the lustful gloss that was coating them was not there anymore.

Matt didn't say anything either as he grabbed paper towels, cleaning himself, then washed his hands, wiping them on his pants. He was too lazy to get the paper towels again. "That was…" he started, not sure where his words were headed.

"Pleasurable." Near spoke, stating the obvious as always. His voice remained monotone, as if the actions that happened didn't happen at all.

"Yep." Matt agreed, stretching slightly and giving a small sigh of relaxation. A smile was slowly forming on his lips as he felt the stress that was with him earlier disappear.

The thought that was forming itself before finally made itself known to Near. _He's in a romantic relationship with Mello. I helped him cheat. I helped him cheat for sexual pleasure._ Near thought as he looked at the redhead, feeling a bit of guilt in his heart. It wasn't because he felt sorry for helping Matt cheat, but because of Mello's feelings. He knew how the blond was sensitive and the act that was currently finished did not help. He felt pleasure during it and due to the pleasure building that was fogging up his mind and he didn't think about the consequences. It was unlike him.

_I feel disgusted. I indirectly broke Mello's heart. I should be ashamed of myself. If those hormones weren't – no, I shouldn't blame my hormonal body. I_**_chose_**_to go through the act. I'm at fault as much as Matt is. This is 50% my fault. It isn't 100% and I have no right to think it is. This is about Mello._

As Near looked up, he noticed that a pair of orbs were observing him. He stared back, no emotion showing behind his eyes.

_Can Matt see through me?_

"If you're thinking about what Mello and I have, then stop yourself right there." His voice sounded a bit harsh, but he continued. "Mello and I have a sexual relationship. I have feelings for him, but he seems to have feelings elsewhere. He doesn't want a romantic relationship. He says it's too much commitment and I don't blame him, it is. Besides, we're interested in other people."

"Isn't the sexual relationship the same as a romantic relationship, rules wise?"

Matt gave a small shrug. "I dunno. I'll find out tonight when I talk to him about this, though."

"Tell him I apologize."

"Near, you don't have to apologize for anything. You're treating me like Mello's property. Last time I checked, I was my own person."

"…"

"You should get to class. I'll see you later."

Near raised a small brow and looked at the other. "Where are you going?"

Matt gave a small smile and held up a nurse's pass. "You seriously think I'm stupid enough to use the same excuse? You know I'm the school's third place student. Fuck, Near, do you seriously think of me as that idiotic?"

"…"

"Anyways, see ya later." With that, he unlocked the door and walked out casually.

Near stayed there, contemplating on what to do. Matt's words were replaying in his head as he slowly started to analyze them. Walking out of the bathroom casually, he walked back to the classroom. He walked to his seat and took note that the teacher didn't ask him where he was. Looking over at the clock, he took note that it was fifteen minutes had passed. The teacher probably would talk to him after class, but at the moment, he didn't care. He resisted the urge to look at the empty seat next to him and at the seat after that, which was Mello's.

The presentation ended a few minutes before class. "Class, you may speak among yourselves. Near, may you please come here?"

Standing up, he didn't look over to where Mello had probably been staring at him intently. He was probably wondering why he took so long in the bathroom and why Matt had followed. It was obvious that the blond was suspicious of both actions, but Near pushed his feelings aside. Coming up to the desk of the teacher, he took a strand of white hair and slowly started to twirl it. In his monotone voice, he spoke, "Yes?"

"Near, is everything alright? You're not sick, are you? You took a while in the bathroom."

"I was sick." Near lied, using the teacher's conclusion as an excuse.

"I see. Would you like to go to the nurse?" She asked worriedly, her eyes scanning the other.

"No, I'm alright now. Thank you." _She thought I got sick and then Matt used that as an excuse to go to the bathroom without being suspicious. However, since we are family, she may think that the cause is food poisoning. That was perfect. I didn't even have to make a lie on the spot._Walking back toward his seat, he sat down and stared down at his mostly empty notebook. He did bother to take notes, but knew that he missed most of the material.

"The nurse found nothing wrong," Matt's voice broke through Near's train of thought. Gray eyes looked up at the other's body while a pair of crystal blue eyes followed in suit. "The nurse said to lie down and I did, but I wanted to come back. My father can't take me home and I didn't want to burden her." He lied, a gentle smile coming onto his features as he handed over the note.

"I see. Well, I do hope you feel better Matt. You may take a seat. We have a few minutes of free time. No video games, though." She took the note, a bit worried about what he said.

Matt held back in protest, wanting to say something to that, but decided against it. Turning around, his eyes shifted from Near to Mello's, the small smile never disappearing from his lips.

_When thinking about this, I wonder, did Matt think this through? No, I highly doubt it, but he does seem to have the capability when having a mindset. I do seem to underestimate him. I should watch him closely further. Perhaps he earns more of my respect than I give him._

"You have some explaining to do." Mello's voice broke through Near's thoughts. He didn't react as he kept his eyes forward at the female anthropology professor.

"Yeah, Mels, I know." He sounded a bit annoyed, which made Near wonder why.

The bell rang a few minutes later to announce that next class would be starting in a few minutes. Near stood up and grabbed his backpack, walking out of the classroom normally. A hand on his shoulder stopped him from going any further as he was pulled back.

"Not so fast." Mello's voice broke through.

However, before Near could protest, his hand was grabbed tightly as he was pulled away. Matt was following close behind, his face calm as ever. Near showed no emotion. The trio went into an empty classroom and the blond closed the door, locking it behind himself. Crossing his arms, he shot a glare to both the redhead and white haired boy.

"What happened?"

"…"

"Mels, right now isn't the time." Matt spoke up, having a feeling that Near would only provoke Mello further.

"We have time, five minutes, actually. Now, what happened?" he pressed the question again.

"Mels, right now?" Matt asked, knowing that he was pushing the boundaries on the blond.

"Yes, right now, dammit!" He frowned, looking at the other. "What the fuck, Matt? You raise your hand two minutes after Near and ask to go to the nurse. You come back more relaxed than you left. You had a worried face, but when you come back, you're all smiley and happy-go-fucking-lucky. That's what! I want answers right now!"

"…" Matt stayed silent, knowing that he shouldn't provoke the blond any further.

"We participated in a sexual act in the bathroom." Near spoke, his right hand coming to twirl a lock of hair.

Matt's green eyes slowly went wide with the truthful statement that came out of his mouth, turning to the blond.

"What?" Mello asked. Near knew that he heard well and was daring Near to say it again, the venom in the word was obvious. It was deadly and it had a lot of self-control. Both of his icy blue cold eyes were turning colder and harder by the second.

"Near–" Matt tried.

"You heard me." Near provoked.

"Mels–" Matt tried again.

"Excuse me?" Mello dared Near again.

"Wait–" He tried the third time.

"Are you deaf, Mello?"

"That's it!" He couldn't control his anger as he launched himself forward.

"Mels!" Matt said a bit loudly, wrapping his arms around the other, holding him back.

Near showed no emotion and did not even flinch as the two in front of him were struggling in each other's arms. He kept twirling his hair calmly, which angered the blond brother more.

"Mels, calm down!" Matt tried, mostly using the other's nickname.

"The fuck?" Mello frowned, turning his anger on his best friend. He stopped struggling, glaring daggers at the other. "The fuck, Matt? Seriously? The fuck!" He growled, gripping his fists tightly.

"May I be dismissed?" Near politely asked, grabbing another lock of hair to twirl it.

"Let him go, Mels. We can talk about this."

"Are you seriously fucking defending him?" Mello accused, the anger growing more. "Whose side are you on?"

"If you let me explain, then I can tell you–" Matt tried, but couldn't keep his hold as the blond got out of the other's grip.

"Fine, Matt. You and cotton ball have five seconds to explain to me."

"I have nothing to explain to you." Near spoke, turning his eyes on the other. His eyes slightly narrowed, he disliked the nickname 'cotton ball.'

"You little shit–"

"Mello."

"I'm listening."

"You said we had a 'sexual relationship,' remember? You never said we had a romantic relationship. Why are you acting like I'm cheating on you?"

There it was. It made Near's lips slowly turn into a frown. _Am I another pawn to him as well? Linda was used as a pawn yesterday when speaking, but physically, Matt is using me to gain Mello's heart? Is he trying to get him jealous again? Were all those signs from before leading up to this?_

"You're seriously asking me that? It's _Near_ that we are talking about here."

A small arrow hit the white haired male's heart as he looked at the door. He kept twirling his hair, listening to their conversation. _Why does Mello treat me like a_**_thing_**_?_

"Come on, Mels. It wasn't my fault. I couldn't help myself."

There it was. Matt's confession. That's all he needed to hear.

"Excuse me." Near spoke up, walking to the door.

"Stop." Mello commanded.

Near couldn't help himself but stop before opening the door. He didn't look over, an annoyed expression making itself known; he was glad that the redhead and blond couldn't see it. "What do you want, Mello?"

"Aren't you going to tell me your side of the story, you little puff ball?"

"I have no reason to. Matt explained it perfectly." Without waiting for either to respond, he unlocked the door and opened it to walk out.

"Near, wait–" Matt's voice started, but was quickly cut off by the door closing.

"No thank you." Near politely declined, knowing that Matt and Mello wouldn't be able to hear him from the other side of the door. He walked away from the classroom and down the hall to his next class. He was glad when he didn't hear the door behind him open and a pair of footsteps following him while another pair was behind those.

"Good morning, Near." Gevanni spoke, a small smile on his face.

"Good morning, Dr. Gevanni." He spoke in his monotone voice, staring at how the other stared at him. He read through those dark eyes: admiration, need, and want.

_Would he use me as a pawn? I doubt it. I would use_**_him_**_as a pawn, if anything. I am an idiot. Why didn't I see Matt's plan ahead of time? Why didn't I analyze his actions when I had the chance? Was it because of those fluttery feelings in my stomach and heart? He was a step ahead of me because I didn't think. Next time, I won't make the same mistake again. I won't let Number 3 outrank me. I really did underestimate him and now he has my full attention._

"Is something wrong, Near?" Stephen asked, his dark eyes reading the other's expression while Near took a seat at his usual seat.

"No." He answered, wondering if Gevanni could also see through him.

Stephen Gevanni was their teacher for graphology class, but it due to his trained eye, perhaps he would have been able to see through Near's mask. He would make a note to pull up his walls more and make them thicker. When the bell rang, Near didn't look over when a blond and a redhead took their usual seats.

"Alright, class." Dr. Gevanni started with a small smile on his lips. "We are going to continue yesterday's lesson. I would like you to pair up with two other individuals other than yourself and I want you to analyze a paragraph for me. Once you have your groups, please raise your hand and tell me. We will be spending the rest of the week analyzing the paragraph and comparing results."

Almost immediately, Matt's hand was raised.

"Yes, Matt?" Gevanni paused to grab the sheets of paper at his desk.

"Mello and Near, sir."

"You'll be group one."

A small frown came onto Near's features, but he didn't verbally protest.

_What is Matt up to now?_

Handing over the sheet of paper to Matt, Gevanni walked to another group of students that had gotten into a trio.

Matt's arm stretched out for Mello's desk, pulling him toward himself with ease. Mello didn't protest, but a small glare was shot Matt's way. Matt ignored it and grabbed Near's desk, quickly pulling it together. Staying in the middle, a small smile came onto his features. "Alright, let's get started."

A few minutes later, the three were at a standstill. Matt had been writing, letting Mello and Near do most of the work – which was the problem.

"I told you. That it doesn't mean that." Mello said, a small frown on his face.

"Mello is incorrect." Near stated with a bored tone, his fingers twirling a lock of white hair.

"It says in the chapter!" He pointed to a particular section in his notebook.

Reaching out his hand, Near took the notebook without asking. His dull eyes scanned the pages, then pointed to a particular word. "It says 'or,' meaning that there is another definition for why the letter is written that way."

A small sigh escaped Matt's lips as the two kept trying to prove both of their points. "Guys…" his voice spoke, looking from Near to Mello. "Why don't we put both? The word 'or' can mean one or another, or both. So that's settled, right?" A small smile was on his face, feeling as if he ended the biggest war that would begin in history.

"Both meanings are not the same." Mello and Near spoke up, staring at Matt. "They contradict each other."

"…" Matt kept his small smile up, staring at the two.

After they finished their sentences, blue eyes met gray – emotions behind both of their eyes. Mello's were exposed, but Near's were hidden; however, Matt could see through his mask. A small blush slowly came onto both of their features, then they kept staring. It was now a competition – neither of them would look away to lose. Matt knew he had to get their attention away from each other before Gevanni would question it. "Well, I'm going to put both definitions down. If I'm right, then… you both owe me a, 'thank you, Matt!' If I'm wrong, well, then, whatever. Let's move on to the next question."

Mello opened his mouth to protest, but like always, Near had the last word.

"Deal."

Green eyes slightly widened as well as blue as they stared at the other. Blue eyes quickly relaxed and found their composure again, but Matt didn't hide his shocked expression. "What?" Matt asked, wondering why there was no fight from Near. Near usually told everyone they were wrong with his knowledge and to just accept Matt?

"I said, 'Deal.'" Near answered with his monotone voice, looking down at the paper.

With the shocked redhead in front of him, he continued to stare at the paper. He looked at the next sentence, as if he were analyzing the material. However, he was doing far from that. He was currently thinking if Matt's hypothesis would be true of the assignment.

_If his theory is correct, then I did underestimate him. He barely shows his abilities. If these were his abilities, then I wouldn't like to miss out on the chance. This is one assignment that will be graded by effort by Dr. Gevanni. It will not affect my grade and I can test to see how far Matt's abilities reach. It also helps Mello and me from quarreling. This is perfect._

Shaking his head and mumbling a, "whatever," Matt started writing what he thought was true. Green eyes flickered to Mello for a second. The blond seemed to have had a small frown on his face from concentration. It was obvious that they both knew Near was up to something.

Near also noticed, but kept his eyes on the paper. He could almost hear the secret messages that they spoke to each other through the silence. To distract both of them from what they were thinking on, Near spoke up again. "The next sentence is a contradictory statement."

With that being said, Mello turned his attention back to the words. A small frown was on his lips.

_He's upset that I got to the sentence first. That's perfect. Now they'll be distracted._

After Gevanni's class, the next class was rather simple. It was only a lecture with note taking, which the three did different things. Matt took a small nap due to earlier events, Mello wrote a lot of notes, and Near only took the notes that were necessary. After that class, Near grabbed his stuff and left before Matt had time to wake up and adjust to the bright lights in the room to get to him. Mello didn't stop him since it would raise suspicion and to be honest, it was against his nature to do it in front of people. Near knew this and took it as an advantage.

Instead of going to the lunchroom, he left to another place. He knew that he had a few minutes before Linda asked about his whereabouts and he didn't want to spend too much time to raise suspicion. He entered the rather large and empty library, noticing that the librarian wasn't at her desk.

_Perhaps she went to go eat a meal. This is good. I won't have anybody watching me._

Without thinking another thought, he went into the non-fiction section. Looking at the aisle and at the book titles, he tried to find a book about psychology.

_Where is a book that has the title 'love?' I need my answers._

He was getting slightly frustrated as he passed the long corridor of the book aisle, but said nothing.

"Mels, you seriously want to talk about it now?" Matt's whine came through Near's ears. It made the teenager stop his search immediately, looking over to where he had noticed them. It seemed that they had the same idea about being in the library instead of talking in public – or at least, Mello did, by the look of his face.

"Yeah, jerk. What type of '_participated sexual act in the bathroom_,' did he mean, Matt?" his voice had a hint of annoyance and something else that Near couldn't register.

_I must be hearing jealousy or envy. Matt got what he wanted._

A part of him felt a bit of the emotions of being used. It hurt a very small amount of him, but he pushed the thought aside. He continued scanning the books in the aisle, not saying a word. It was obvious that the blond and redhead hadn't noticed him.

"Mels, you seriously want to know?" there was a small smirk behind his voice. Near noticed immediately, casting a small frown onto his face.

"Yes! Fucking spill it already!"

"He was all hot and bothered. He was already hard by the time I got there. We talked a little if he knew what to do. He said that he wasn't sure what to do, so I asked if he wanted my hand. No pun intended. Anyways, I helped him with his problem and he helped me with mine. We only used our hands, Mels, we didn't actually kiss or anything."

"…"

Near had gotten a book and he was reading the title of it. It was the wrong title because 'love' had not been anywhere on the surface. Looking through the small gap he created by pulling the book from the shelf, he stared at the blond as he was facing him, Matt's body facing away from Near, his back to him. He wondered if Matt had the ability of Mello to make him go completely quiet for a long time or if this was temporary.

"He gave in? Just like that?" Mello spoke, his voice soft and barely audible.

_Why does he care? Why is his voice calm and collected?_

"Yes." Matt answered, the word having a hint that there was a smile on his lips even though Near couldn't see him.

The next movement surprised all of them. A punch landed on Matt's arm, holding back no mercy.

"Ow!" Matt exclaimed, grabbing his arm where it had been abused. "What the hell, Mello?!" He spoke, not being able to hold it back.

"You seriously didn't think I would get jealous?" the blond hissed, a glare sending in Matt's direction.

_There. He finally admits it. Now I won't have to dwell on this matter._

Putting the book back, Near started walking to get out of the library, not caring if he was noticed or not by the two. Then, a single question him freeze in his tracks. His eyes went slightly wide as the words registered in his head, Mello's voice speaking.

"Why didn't you wait so we could touch Near _together_?"


	3. Verbal Irony

_No._

"This is really good food, Nia! You should try it!"

_No._

"What are you staring at?"

_No._

"Nia?"

_It is not_**_possible_**_._

"Near?"

_I must have heard wrong._

"Near, what's wrong?"

_Mello would never say such words._

"Hello?"

At the hand waving in front of him, two orbs slowly looked up at Linda's hand. She had a worried look on her face while her pale hand was waving in front of her. Her lips were slightly pushed outward, emphasizing the worry that matched her eyes.

"What's wrong? I've been talking you for a while now and you still haven't responded to any of my questions, Near. You keep looking out into the distance and if I had to guess, the look on your face is fear. What's wrong? Did something happen? Is that why you were late to meet up with me?"

A small frown made his lips at all of the questions, knowing that the best option was to answer with one statement. _Does she only notice things when they are obvious and they are right in front of her? No, that would be rude to say and even think about. I should not take my anger out on Linda. She is not the one at fault, Mello and Matt are._

"I am fine, Linda. I apologize, but I am thinking about my brothers. We are working on a project and I am still thinking if the analysis we came to is correct or if it is not."

Linda stared at Near, her eyes never shifting away. Slowly, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Near, I know you better than that. Are you really going to start to lie to me? You can just say that you want to drop the topic; you don't have to answer with a lie. Lying makes me think that you don't trust me enough."

"I apologize. I want to drop the subject."

"Okay…" her voice trailed off, her eyes turning sad. She uncrossed her arms and stared at the plate of delicious dry peaches. Turning her attention, she looked elsewhere, wondering what was bothering her friend a lot. She then turned back to him, a small smile coming onto her lips. "Would you like to try some?" she offered, pushing the clear plastic container to him.

"No thank you." Near answered, staring at Linda's face. He was trying to analyze her emotions.

"Hey, big headed idiot, do you mind if we talk?" Mello's voice broke out from behind them.

Shoulders that were covered with a light blue button up and a black navy vest tensed up very slightly. He turned around, letting his dull eyes meet his older brother's. "Yes, I do. I am spending lunch with Linda."

A small frown was made onto Mello's features as his expression turned into a slightly angry one. Behind him, bored green eyes that were shaded from the world with orange goggles watched.

"We really need to talk to you about something important, Near." Matt spoke up, looking over at Linda. He gave a small smile to her.

Linda's cheeks slowly blushed as Matt offered her one of his smiles, which she quickly took. "Near, why don't you go with them? I'll be fine right here. Besides, weren't you saying something about a project you wanted to discuss with them about?"

At that, both pairs of blue and green looked at gray eyes confused. However, they both remained quiet.

_She is using my own words against me. Does that mean she knows that these two are troubling me? Yes, that would be a 'yes.' Linda is smart enough when she tries. She must have analyzed that I lied about my brothers or she took account that nobody gets to me. People at this school do not have enough intellect to be able–_

"Near." Mello spoke, breaking the other out of his thoughts. "Come on." He turned away, Matt trailing behind him.

Standing up, Near grabbed his backpack and looked at a smiling Linda. "I shall see you in class. Excuse me, Linda." He walked away, hearing her voice behind him.

"Good luck, Nia!"

_She knows._

Walking away with the other two, Mello and Matt went into the building again. Near kept following, his eyes dull. He wondered where the other two were going, but when he noticed that they went into an empty classroom, he stopped outside of it before going inside.

"Hurry up." Mello frowned at him, motioning him to go follow after them. "I'm not going to hit you, if that's what you think. If you are seriously thinking about that, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought. I have never laid my hand on you."

A small chuckle came from Matt, looking up at the other. He motioned him to come inside. "Come on. The faster you talk to us, the faster you can go back out to your _girlfriend_."

"…" Near refused to correct the sentence, slowly walking forward. Once inside, Mello closed the door and locked it. He turned to the other, crossing his arms.

"Near, what we want to talk to you is about something important."

"…"

A small frown made it onto Mello's lips. His arms tightened slightly as he stared at the other, wishing that Near said something.

"Well, let me begin. What do you think about incest?"

"It's disgusting." Near lied. _I do not have a particular opinion for it; however, I refuse to get into a relationship._

"I see. Well, I kind of need your help with something." Matt tried again, a small smile on his face. "You see, Mello will only get in a romantic relationship with me under one condition."

"I do not care."

"…Okay." Matt spoke, the smile gone from his face. He knew that Near was being colder than usual. "Let me get straight to the point. Would you like to be in a romantic relationship with us?"

"No."

"The hell?" Mello frowned, staring at the other after uncrossing his arms. His eyes were filled with passion. "Are you serious? You didn't even think about it! Do you think you're too good enough or something? Or are you sleeping with that whore?"

A small frown made itself known on Near's features. He looked back into Mello's eyes, a flame behind them. "If I am in a relationship with _Linda_, then it is none of _your_ concern. I do not plan to participate in _this_. I am not into incest nor do I have romantic feelings for both of you."

"I'm going to have to cut you off there," Matt started, looking at the other in the eyes when Near shifted his attention away from Mello, "If that were true, then why did you let me touch you? You gave me _permission_, Near. I didn't force myself on you. I asked and you answered. Don't blame it on lust either," Matt accused, his finger from his right hand coming up to point to the younger brother before continuing, "you are smart enough to make your own decisions. You are the smartest kid in this school."

"…" Near said nothing, slightly surprised that Matt had a reason.

"You want to know something, Near?" Matt asked, a small frown coming onto his features as he stared at the other. He pointed his finger more to let the other know that he was serious, "Mello and I talk. A lot. I'm sure you know. You have blushed around us and you want to know something? Before you start going defensive or explaining why, let me tell you something. A normal person would blush in front of another due to embarrassment, but brothers? No, they would not blush or even consider it. You're confused, Near, and you are starting to get feeling for us, are you not?"

"No." Near replied too quickly. He cursed himself in his mind, knowing that the other two would catch the mistake.

A small smile was on Matt's features again. "You answered too quickly. You also stared at my chest when I came out of the shower and I know that you blushed when Mello walked in on you. You didn't respond to me watching you, but I saw a few signs that Mello never notices. You were holding back and trying to control your emotions, weren't you?"

"No." Near answered again quickly.

"You sure?" Matt took a step forward, staring at the other deeply in the eyes behind his orange goggles. "Then, why did you get turned on at my touches? Why did you also get all hot and bothered when that kid asked about the incest question? Do you seriously want me to go into further detail to make it more clear to you, Near? Or are you going to make us make moves on you? You won't come after us, Mello and I know that for sure. If you're worried about L, then you have nothing to be worried about."

"That is not true. L will–" He quickly cut himself off, a small frown coming onto his cheeks. A small blush slowly crept on his pale cheeks. _Great, I sound like a liar now for not denying it._

The smile on Matt's features widened. "You didn't deny it, Near. You just subconsciously admitted it."

"I do not know what Matt speaks of." Near answered, turning to look away. He brought up a hand to twirl the lock of hair. His hand moved slightly quicker, but he did not notice. However, the redhead and blond noticed almost immediately.

"Near. All of here know how everything in the mind works. At least, some of it. There are a couple classes we still need to take, but don't you hear yourself?"

"I am not in denial." Near gave a small frown, twirling the lock of hair a bit faster.

"Fine, you're _not_ in fucking denial." Mello finally spoke up, a small frown on his features. "You want to know something? Since you are always 100% right and we are not, because we are ranked two and three, then our opinions shouldn't matter, right?"

"…"

Mello reached out, grabbing the other's chin. It was obvious that his eyes were angry as he was. Meanwhile, Near looked up at the fire behind blue eyes, not pulling away from the touch. A small blush made its way onto his features as he looked into the depths of those eyes. Mello didn't say anything, knowing that Matt would catch up soon and so would Near. Leaning down, he closed his eyes and placed a gentle kiss on the other's lips.

"Mel–" Near started, his word being cut short by the other's lips.

A red blush slowly made its way onto his cheeks as his heart started to race. The feelings that Near could not describe before – the fluttery feeling in his heart – was now back. He closed his eyes, starting to enjoy the kiss. He didn't pull away and let Mello slowly deepen it. Near didn't think when he slowly parted his mouth and tilted his head to the side, giving the other complete access.

Slowly slipping his tongue inside, Mello lightly rubbed them together. He felt a shiver go through him as he slowly let go of Near's chin and grabbed his petite hands, pulling one away from the small chin. Slowly walking forward, he let the small boy walk backwards into a wall. Intertwining fingers, he kept rubbing their tongues together, pushing Near's arms up against the wall.

After what seemed to be a few minutes, Mello pulled away. Near slowly looked up at him, his blush staying on his cheeks. Lips slowly moved while a pink tongue was revealed later. Licking his lips, he stared at the blond, not taking his glossy eyes off of him.

However, Near felt his head was turned to the right, where he was met with gorgeous emerald green eyes. Lips were pressed against him as Near felt his eyes closing again. He parted his mouth slightly, struggling against the hands that were keeping him there. Brushing his tongue back against the foreign one, Near moved his head to slowly get closer to Matt. He panted a bit, his breath hitching between kisses.

Pulling back, Near opened his eyes to meet the other's. His breath was uneven as he looked into Matt's eyes. Gray couldn't pull away due to their captivation. A small smile was slowly graced on Matt's lips. It was gentler this time – Near noticed – instead of it being its usual playful self.

Two pairs of lips slowly went to the pale neck that was in front of them. Mello let go of the other's hands. Near's breath gave a small hitch, looking up at the ceiling as both mouths placed wet kisses on it. Closing his eyes and getting lost in the physical touch, both pale hands came up to grip red and blond locks. The sensations were becoming more and more strong, the heat of it going between his legs. His breath hitched as he felt Matt's tongue on the left side of his neck and felt himself arch his back slightly as he felt Mello's teeth on the right slowly nibble at his skin. An unexpected moan quickly passed his lips before he even had a chance to stop it.

A bell rang through the three pair of ears and they stopped their actions. Near slowly opened his eyes as Mello and Matt pulled away, their fingers unlocking themselves from their hair. He watched as two pairs of lustful eyes looked back at him.

"Yeah, Near, you seriously _don't_ like us at all." Mello scoffed, sarcasm coating every word.

"…"

"Mels." Matt warned, pulling down the goggles that were on his head down to his eyes. He gave a small smile. "Just think about it. You owe us at least that much, don't you? Well, maybe not me, because it's obvious that you think I'm an idiot; however, Mello deserves it. You always seem to have respect for him." With that, he walked out of the classroom.

"Matt's not an idiot, idiot. You are." With that, Mello walked out.

Near kept panting slightly as he tried to blink the lust away. As he heard the door '_click_' close, he got off of the wall. His heart was still fluttering and his mind was still hazy. He was enjoying the kisses and bites that the other two were giving him, but now he needed to go to photography class. Pulling away from the wall, he opened the door and walked out. Walking through the halls, he went into the room where class was usually held and sat there. He noticed that Linda smiled and perked up at the other's arrival.

"How did it go?"

The blush that was slowly disappearing came back onto Near's features. Before he could answer, the teacher walked inside. He was silently grateful.

"Today we will touch on forensic photography, just a bit. However, before we start that, I have a quote to give you a hint at what I'm looking at and what I am trying to let you see. It is slightly difficult to understand due to the symbolism, but think in English terms and you shall be fine." The teacher smiled, moving her hands that were on the desk, grabbing a paper before continuing to speak. "George Eastman once said, '**_Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography._**' Now, class, please grab your assigned cameras and follow me out."

"Wow, Near. What do you think we'll do?" Linda smiled a bit, inspiration coating her eyes due to the quote.

"I am not sure." He twirled his hair before getting up from his desk, grabbing his assigned camera and following the teacher out.

"Now, class," the teacher spoke, a different tone in her voice, "You all signed the waivers at the beginning of the school year. The criminology department has kindly asked of me to do this; if you feel too disgusted at any time, then you may come to me and you may do an alternate assignment."

Linda looked at her teacher puzzled, but asked nothing. Near did the same, but hid his emotions rather well. _The criminology department 'kindly' asked the fine arts department? Why? There is something that isn't adding up; however, how long did she know about this? She must have known, she chose a specific quote, correct?_

The class walked into a classroom that was purely white. Linda's brown eyes and Near's gray ones stared at the scene in front of them. They were relaxed, but their other classmates were rather tense; their classmates had already seen the scene before Near's and Linda's eyes had a chance to look. A small gasp escaped Linda's lips while Near stayed with his emotionless mask up when they did take the details in.

"Now, children, please leave if you must." The teacher said, a bit of uneasiness in her voice. "I am going to wait outside with anybody that cannot stand the crime scene in front of you. Please, do not touch anything and if you do, then please try to put it back the best you can." She started speaking, her voice slightly rushed. "Excuse me." The teacher spoke up, walking out of the room with a hand covering her lips as she could not believe what she was witnessing.

"Nia…" Linda started, her hands lightly shaking as she tried to grab her camera properly to take a picture.

Near said nothing, listening to a lot footsteps walking out of the grotesque room.

Linda took a small step forward, but shook her head, speaking up again. "Nia, I really can't. I don't know why, but I just can't." She turned around, the smile completely gone from her face. She quickly walked out with other people in the class, not sticking around for Near's answer.

Gray orbs looked over at the ones that were left and only noticed that there were four in total; however, the other three looked mortified and sick. Near slowly raised a brow, then looked back at the scene in front of him. _If the criminology department has asked our professor to photograph such a thing, then why did they not think about the scene itself and what it would cause? Something is not right and it's starting to pick at my senses._

"I'm going to go ask her if we need to do this assignment…" came a shaky voice. "I don't…I don't think I can handle this." One of the people still behind said – a female. She turned on her heels, walking out of the room.

"We're not…we're not scared, right?" another teenager asked the person next to him. "I mean…only a _freak_ would be able to do this assignment without feeling remorse, right? That's it! Maybe this is just a test to see if we're human or not. It's obvious Near isn't." and with that, the second child disappeared.

The third one, who looked relatively scared, quickly walked out behind the other. "R-Right! Hey! Wait for me!"

After the last three left, gray dull eyes scanned the horrific scene in front of them, ignoring the hurtful words that were thrown his way; there was an interesting puzzle in front of him and that was more important than thinking about idiotic people's opinions about him. The walls were clear and there was a book of shelves on the wall. There were fifty-seven volumes of the content. There was a corpse on the bed that looked as if he was sleeping. The victim didn't move and stayed there, the shirt had bleeding marks on it, but there were no cuts on his shirt. There was a carpet next to the bed, but other than that, there was nothing; however, there were three dolls that were pinned up to each of the walls. All of them were Wara Ningyo dolls.

Bringing up a camera up to his eye, Near looked in the small slot and thought about what the teacher told him. He knew that she was talking about lighting with that quote, but there was a deeper meaning to it, was there not? He knew that Linda believed in him and the small white-haired boy got a small bit of confidence by her words. Even though it would be wrong because there was no true answer, all the teacher was looking for was for Near to try. Taking a small shot, he pulled back and stared at the image. It looked fine, but the light was slightly different. Taking a few steps forward, he closed the door and noticed that another doll was there. It was nailed to the wall, which gave a small frown to his face.

_Why would the criminology department give a lot of details to this scene? This isn't making any sense. The fine arts department is about symbolism and freedom of expression, but this scene is very detailed. This is a_**_true_**_crime scene, isn't it? What is the criminology department trying to achieve from this? Is it because L is my father and they are trying to figure out if I shall be one of his successors? If so, then have they or will they give this test to Mello and Matt? Or…has this case never been solved? Is this the true reason?_

A small spark of interest was in his eyes as he looked around the room some more. Looking up at the ceiling for any small clues, he noticed the camera in the upper left corner. It was black and there was a small red blinking light. _Its recording. Why is this interesting for them? Are they waiting for a reaction? If so, the whole class is gone. No…that doesn't make sense. Are they waiting for my reaction to see what I do with all the clues that are in front of me? Have Matt and Mello done this exam already? No, Mello would have talked about it nonstop if he had. Matt wouldn't care and wouldn't say anything, but Mello would struggle to keep it hidden._

Talking a small step forward, Near ignored the camera that was recording his every movement. Slowly walking up to the corpse, his eyes remained dull. He noticed the blood stained shirt and stared at the person that was there.

_Is this an actor? They got the details of the human body correct. This isn't a test of my camera skills, is it? No, they want me to solve this puzzle. Who's "they?" Did L put these people up to this? Why are there dolls? Why is this room so detailed? Nothing is adding up. My hypothesis says that this_**_is_**_a crime scene, but is it really? No…L gives one puzzles without a significant value behind them, right? That must be it. He gave me that white puzzle with the 'L' on the top left corner that meant nothing. This must be a normal crime scene that L did_**_not_**_set up. Then again…no, there is one piece of the puzzle that I am missing if L is behind this. If he is, then all I have to do is find it._

Turning away from the corpse, Near looked around the room. He then looked at the corpse, holding up the camera and taking a picture. Staring at the bookshelf, he also took a picture of it. After a few more pictures were taken of the evidence, he stared at all of his pictures quietly. Without making a noise, Near started to analyze each one. He noticed that there was one piece of evidence that was left to take a picture of. Looking over at the corpse, Near walked slowly and stared at the dead man's face. Reaching over, he grabbed the t-shirt that the man was wearing and slowly pulled it up. He tensed slightly, wondering if the cuts were some type of hidden message.

_It has to be. This room is too organized. There are details everywhere. Those dolls are placed in a way that you see them first before the victim and they are not randomly on the wall; they all have equal distance from each other. The corpse is still here and the shirt is been put on him after the murder. This isn't a normal killer that had remorse for his victim, no. He's a_**_mocker_**_. He's a serial killer that is mocking someone, but who?_

Pushing the shirt further away to get a closer look, Near continued to stared at the marks on the chest. They were died blood and Near couldn't tell if the bodily fluid was real or not. His eyes kept staring as he grabbed up a camera and took a picture of the wounds. Looking at them, he immediately saw the connection and the puzzle piece that he was missing.

_These are Roman numerals, aren't they? They are. I have to see them at an angle, but they are. Let's see… V, I, C, M, D, X, and L. 'L?' Wait…is that L's signature? Is this L trying to tell me that I've succeeded solving his puzzle? No, that's too easy. The clue may have been hidden, but L wouldn't leave the message out here in the open. He would be more discrete. This means, that whoever the serial killer is, is wanting for the secret code to be found. This is a message of some sorts…let's see. 16, 59, 1423, 159, 13, 7, 582, 724, 1001, 40, 51, and 31. These numbers on their own don't have any meaning behind it. If they were translated to the English language, it would be impossible. The English alphabet only has twenty-six letters. Unless–_

Near's eyes slightly widened at the realization. He knew that the numbers had a hidden meaning and he overlooked at it the whole time. Looking over at the bookshelf, he noticed that _two_volumes were missing. A small frown made its way onto his features as he stared at the volumes. There it was – another puzzle piece. Walking over to the books, he grabbed the first one and went to page sixteen.

"Quadratic." He muttered to nobody else in particular. Deciding that this was the only reason why the numbers were on the man's bloody chest, he grabbed all of the volumes and started opening up every single page. He began to lay the books in a circle around him and once he was finished, he had twelve letters.

"Q-U-T-R-T-E-A-E-T-E-E-N." Near spoke softly, looking at the beginning letters of every single word. He looked over at the corpse that had been lying on the bed, then looked at all of the letters again.

The door quickly opened, revealing a tall blond woman with a busty chest. She crossed her arms and looked at Near through her expensive black sunglasses. A pure black fuzzy ushanka was on her head as she gave a small smile. The latest squared black and white sweater was around her frame while she had tight black pants and shin high boots, making her frame taller than it usually was.

"Near, come with me." She spoke with authority, turning away and walking out of the room.

A smile was on Near's features as the blond woman turned away.

_I was right._

Standing up from his spot, he looked back at the victim and books that lay on the bed. Following the woman, he turned his head to the right. He noticed Linda's worried brown eyes while the others stared at him with slight fear and disgust.

"I think he touched the corpse…what a freak…" mumbled a teenage boy. "Do you think he'll get in trouble?"

"I hope so." Another boy spoke up, taking a step back from Near's gaze.

"Boys." Their photography teacher frowned at them, walking back to her own classroom. "Let's go, this assignment is over."

The blond let her black heels click onto the ground as she walked out of the school building. Near's camera was still jingling slightly around his neck as he stared at the woman's hat. _Is she Russian? The hat says she is, but then again, she can just be wearing that because of fashion._

Walking into another building, she walked down a white corridor. It was completely silent and the only sound was the clicks of her heels while Near's gentle footsteps were barely heard behind her. He looked around the place, taking in the surroundings.

"Right this way." The blond woman spoke, going into a room.

Near blinked slightly and looked around the room. It was completely dim. Meanwhile, Near was thinking about the puzzle that was behind. The letters didn't make any word, but he knew that he should have come to the conclusion one one. He rearranged a few words in his mind, thinking if he got the answer correctly.

"Well?" the woman said, looking over at the small boy. "What's your answer?"

Near stayed quiet, then trailed his eyes to the two people that were sitting on a stainless steel chairs. A video game system was on hands as goggles were covering the owner's eyes and the body next to him had snapped off a piece of chocolate.

Near looked at Mello and Matt, then back at the blond woman, knowing that both of them had already answered the question. _They are all waiting for my answer? Does that mean L is_**_truly_**_behind this? It is a possibility. Matt was clever to figure out the puzzle? Did Mello help him? Was it the same way they gave me the puzzle?_

"Quarter Queen." Near answered, his voice monotone as gray eyes looked up into the pair that were hidden behind the sunglasses.

A scoff came from Mello's lips. "Took ya long enough."

The blond woman gave a small nod as she gestured over to the only seat. "Please, have a seat, Near. You have solved the puzzle, good job. The main guest shall be here shortly."

Without listening to another world, Near walked over and sat in front of two of his brothers. He gently set down the camera onto the table, unwrapping the strap from his neck. Staring at Mello's blue eyes, he could tell what the other was thinking almost immediately.

_He knows L is behind this._

"I never thought that you would be _third_." Mello scoffed, leaning back on the chair. He took another bite of the chocolate.

"…"

"According to your times, he was the first one to solve it, Mello. You were second, and Matt was third."

"Uh-huh." Matt answered, clicking on the buttons, distracted by everything around him.

"What?!" Mello frowned at the blond woman.

"May you please tell us your name?" Near asked, bringing his left leg up to the table while his right hand started to twirl a lock of hair.

"You may call me Wedy. It's a pleasure to meet you three."

"Mm."

"Whatever."

"…"

A few minutes passed before there was a knock on the door. Wedy moved away from it and opened it, revealing a man that was lunched forward in a plain white shirt and blue jeans. Mello looked over and gave a confused look as he stared at L walk in. Meanwhile, Matt kept staring at the virtual boss he was trying to beat in his video game and Near kept twirling his hair, looking at the wall.

"Should I leave you four to speak?" Wedy asked, closing the door after L walked in.

"No, please, you may stay. I have a few questions for you."

"Very well."

L slowly walked over to the three, taking the seat next to Near in his usual position. He let both feet sit on the chair while his back was arched, his thumb coming up to his lips to bite it lightly. "I am guessing they all solved it, yes?"

"They have. Each of them got the answer correctly."

"I see. Do you mind telling me their times?"

"Rounding the time, Mello got the puzzle in thirty minutes, Matt got it in forty-five minutes, and Near got it in twenty minutes."

"I see…" L slowly trailed his eyes upward, staring at each individually as Wedy gave their times.

Mello gave a small frown when Matt kept continuing to play his game. He gave the other a small nudge with his shoulder.

"Oof!" Matt called out, a frown quickly appearing on his face as he looked over at Mello. Giving a blink, he looked across the table at L, then got the message. Pausing his game and saving it, he quickly closed the device and pocketed it. "Sorry."

"…Yes, well, you all were smart to get the answer that it was 'Quarter Queen.' By now, I'm pretty sure that you all know that this crime scene is a real one."

"It is?" Matt asked, bewildered, but before he could ask another question, he kept his mouth closed, noticing Mello's glare directed at him.

"Before we go any further, have you heard of this serial killer? He has never been caught and he has been mocking me."

Matt and Near slowly shook their heads, but Mello gave a small nod.

"What do you know about him, Mello?" L asked, his tired eyes trailing up to meet his son's.

"The news called it 'The Wara Ningyo Murders.' Later they changed the name to 'L.A. Serial Locked Room Killings,' or other weird names. There were three victims: Believe Bridesmaid, Quarter Queen, and Backyard Bottomslash in Los Angeles, California, United States. They were brutally murdered and the serial killer is still out there, like you've said. That's all that I found on the HNN's homepage a few years after it was posted."

L gave a small smile as he stared at Mello. "Good, good."

Near kept twirling his hair, noticing that Matt was quickly losing interest, but Mello's eyes were sparkling with inspiration. A small smile wanted to tug at his lips, but he held it back. _He knows at least the basics of this case. That's fascinating. The look in his eye is very attractive– wait, what am I saying? This is my_**_brother_**_, Mello. I do not see him that way romantically._

Pushing the thoughts away before a blush was going to made itself known on his cheeks, he turned his attention to L. "You were a detective on this case?" Near asked, a bit curious on why they were quizzed on the unsolved puzzle. _Does this mean we're going to help him solve a United States case? Why? What does the United Kingdom have to do with the United States? Then again, he did say that this serial killer was mocking_**_him_**_._

"No, I was not; however, I am now. You see, a letter was sent to the Los Angeles Police Department, known as LAPD, and they were a little slow to process the true message that was hidden. I will not tell you the exact message because it is not of importance, but they have noticed it was me because of how many crimes I've solved here in the United Kingdom. They require my assistance to solve the cold case and if you have not figured it out already, I started on this case yesterday. That is why I could not pick you all up and why I was more tired than usual this morning. I kept going over the evidence and cannot find a trace of what this person is trying to tell me. The case was supposed to have a fourth victim, but that forth victim never came."

"The United States did not recruit you early enough, L. He was trying to get your attention and the country wasn't cooperating with the United Kingdom. They took years to decode that letter, correct? Does this mean he got tired of waiting or tired of trying to get your attention?"

"It is a possibility." L answered, looking over at Near.

"Do you think he went on a murder spree?" asked Mello.

L shook his head. "No. I doubt it. There was a female federal bureau agent that was attacked. Her name is Naomi Misora. She was on suspension, but I do not know the cause of why she was attacked. While she was investigating the case for the LAPD, she noticed that a man was under the bed of the first victim."

"Wait, she was suspended and they hired her?" Matt questioned while his eyes were slightly wide with shock. "Isn't that illegal or something?"

Mello opened his mouth to answer, but was quickly cut off when L spoke again.

"It does not matter. He is not a prime suspect anymore."

"…" Near thought about the answer, wondering why he was not suspected.

"His real name is Beyond Birthday. His adoptive name is Beyond Lawliet, but he later changed it back to his original name. The current alias at the time of the murders was Rue Ryuzaki."

Matt quickly went silent, the voice gone from his throat. Mello felt his jaw slightly drop as the chocolate slipped from his fingers. Near's eyes slightly widened at the sentence that L gave them._Rue Ryuzaki was his alias at the time? Before it was Beyond Lawliet? Does that mean he was adopted? His name is Beyond Birthday? Wait…BB, QQ, BB, and…BB again._

"Wedy, could you please leave us? Turn off the microphones and cameras. I would like to have a private conversation with these three."

Wedy gave a small nod and walked out of the room, letting the door give a small '_click_' behind her. L didn't turn his attention and waited for a few minutes before he stared at their shocked faces. "Before any of you speak. Yes, I do know the coincidence of Beyond using an alias in Los Angeles at the time of the murders to hide his identity is rather suspicious; however, there is no physical evidence that places him as the scene or as the murderer that committed the crime. To answer the question on all of your minds, yes, he was adopted into the Lawliet family. He is your uncle, per say, but you had another uncle. All you need to know was that his name was A and that he is no longer in this world."

"Wait, what?" Mello asked, finding his voice again. He stared at L confused. "Why isn't A here anymore? Did Beyond kill him too?"

"No, he did not kill him. A committed suicide. Later, Beyond moved to Los Angeles for a short time period to get away from his depression. He was asked by the LAPD for help, but nobody recalls that. Yes, it does make it more suspicious, but you must understand that my brother would not do such a horrendous crime even though he did commit something else."

"What's that?" Near asked, twirling the lock of hair in his finger.

"…Beyond was in a romantic relationship with his own brother, A Lawliet." L said with slight disgust. He turned his tired eyes to the three of them, taking a few seconds to stare at each one separately. "A Lawliet was also adopted, you see. Even though I did not want to bring this up, I know I must tell you now since you have asked. A and Beyond got caught. The Lawliet family shamed them and a few days later, A's body was found. The autopsy showed that it had been a suicide and not a homicide, accidental death, natural cause, or an undetermined one."

Mello and Matt stayed quiet while they stared at L with serious faces. Near knew that he could read and hear the disgust in the other's tone, but the small boy said nothing. He then kept twirling his hair, knowing that his hypothesis was right. Deciding to turn the subject, he looked over at L and asked a question, "Where is Beyond now?"

"He is in this city. He is going to visit us soon."

"Seriously?" Mello asked, finding his voice again; it was weak, but it went hand-in-hand with the disbelief.

"Yes."

"Doesn't that seem a bit odd to you, L?" Near asked, twirling his finger slowly around his finger.

"It does seem abnormal, yes. During work, I got a call from him. It was slightly after I had received the documents of the case. He said that he was in the city and that he would join me soon. He wanted to 'catch-up.'"

"L, if you want our help, then are you willing to face that your brother might be the criminal?" Matt asked, his voice barely held emotion.

L turned his attention to the other, tilting his head slightly. He gave a small nod. "Yes, this is why I require your assistance."

"Well, then, he's our number one suspect." Matt spoke. Near couldn't help but notice that his voice was cold and that his arms were slightly moving, almost as if they wanted to cross themselves across the front of his chest. _Does he feel intimidated? No, that can't be it. He wants to protect something, but what? The relationship he has with Mello?_

"Yes, I am aware. Matt, are you upset because of what I said about my brothers?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Why?"

"You sound like a homophobe." He held back, which Near quickly caught on.

_That is what he's angry about. Will he and Mello still try to bring me into their relationship? Or will they give up because of what L said today? Did L say it on purpose? Does he know?_ A small feeling of sadness was washed over Near's heart. He shifted a bit in his seat. _What is this pain I am feeling? This makes no sense. I am…sad? How come? I wanted nothing to do with them. It's my body that responded when they started kissing me. It was not my fault that I started giving in. I do not like them that way. My heart is as soft as a brick._

Before Near could think on the subject further, L's voice broke through. "I have nothing against homosexuals; however, I do not approve of incest. I dislike it very much."

"…"

"Is my answer not pleasing?" L asked, staring at Matt's intense eyes.

"L, the case?" Mello reminded him, staring at him.

L quickly diverted his eyes away from Matt and gave a small nod to Mello. "Yes, well, I shall get you all copies of the files that were given to me. I do expect that you all take care of the files carefully because they are rather important. Also, if it is Beyond, then I don't want you in any harm's way."

"If you are the target, L, then we already are his targets because we are your adopted children." Near spoke, slowly twirling a piece of strand of white hair.

"…" L said nothing, slowly standing up. "Sadly, you are. I want to bring the criminal to justice and if it is my brother, then I wish for all of you to help me see lady justice. I want three pairs of eyes instead of my own because mine are already tainted with a bias."

The three of them gave a small nod.

L started walking away, reaching a hand for the door, but he stopped. "Beyond Birthday is an odd individual, keep in mind. He is smarter than all of you. For all of your protection, I suggest to stay together and to think critically about the situation. Beyond is below my level of intelligence and may have the capability to surpass me; also, he is above all of you. Mello and Near, you two can surpass me if you tried to work together; however, with Matt, all of you are twice as strong. Use your knowledge to your advantage. I know that you three can solve this case on your own if anything were to happen to me. Beyond Birthday does not know that all of you are adopted. I only know your true first names and last names and I want it to stay that way for selfish purposes. I do not mind if you all tell teach other your real names, it may create a bigger bond." A small smile was on L's lips as he turned around to face them. "However, that's just my theory. Walk home safety and keep your eyes open." With that long speech, he left the three boys behind.

"Real names?" Matt asked, blinking slightly. He turned his gaze toward Mello and Near. "Wait, but…" a small frown came onto his features. "We've always called ourselves by our names, what is he talking about?"

"When he adopted us, he got into our files. Our aliases were only aliases. I'm guessing he changed our aliases into our legal names." Mello spoke, staring at Matt, then at Near.

"We have all lied to each other." Near spoke, the finger continuing to twirl the lock of white locks.

"I guess…" Matt started, slowly starting to feel uncomfortable.

"The cameras and microphones are still off. Do you think we should tell each other our names before we don't get the chance anymore?"

Matt gave a small nod.

"Only Roger and L know our real names." Near started, looking at the two in front of them. "If Beyond is as smart as L says, then we should create a secret code that only the three of us will know. Our real names are on private records, yes, but anybody can get them if they had the chance. This room is completely silent and nobody is listening to these words. Now is the only chance to create a safe word that will blend in with what we usually say or do."

Matt let out a small groan, sighing. He crossed his arms on the table and laid his head on his arms. "That's _so_ much work…"

"Matt, focus."

"I don't wanna." Matt frowned a bit. "I already had to think when they gave me that crime scene to look at. That was a lot of work as it was. The crime scene didn't change either and to be honest, it was boring just to stare at a dead corpse."

"Fine then, doofus. Near and I will think of phrases." He looked over at the white haired boy. "What do you think would blend in nicely?"

"To show a sign of distress without him noticing, we should use something that we all know the other would say at appropriate times. Beyond will catch on if we use something odd."

"Fine, like what?" Mello asked, staring at him.

"Mello likes chocolate. Matt likes video games. I like puzzles."

"Your point?"

"I…am thinking."

"Think quicker."

"Whoa!" Matt asked, a small smile on his face. "Mels, you're letting Near do all the work?" He chuckled slightly, yelping slightly as his arm was hit. "Ow! Hey!" A small frown came onto his lips as he sat back up, rubbing where the punch landed. "That's so mean, Mels."

"You asked for it."

"Nu-uh."

"Yeah, you did."

"Nope."

"Mello would say, 'I am going to go get chocolate with Beyond.' Matt should say, 'I am going to go get video games with Beyond.' And I should say, 'I am going to go get puzzles with Beyond.'" He kept twirling his hair, giving a small nod.

"Alright, sounds good to me." Matt spoke up, grabbing his game console out of his pocket, but decided to put it away at the last second.

Mello frowned a bit at Matt, blaming him for not being the first one to figure it out before Near did. "Fine, whatever."

"Should we know our real names?" Near asked, his own finger twirling his hair.

Mello looked over and opened his mouth to answer, but Matt beat him to it.

"Let's save it for after we all have sex, yeah? That way, it'll be more intimate." Standing up, he gave a small wink and walked out the door. Mello followed in suit, a small blush on his own cheeks while a frown was on his features.

Near slowly felt his face heat up as he watched the other two leave, his stomach turning in a weird way. Looking down at his shirt, he slowly rubbed a hand over it, the blush slowly growing. He moved his hand up, feeling his heart race quicker.

_No. My heart is as soft as a brick. My heart is as soft as a brick. My heart is as soft as a brick. This is not denial. This is not denial. This is not denial._

Standing up from his chair and pushing it inside, Near looked over at the three chairs that were not pushed in. Turning his body, he walked out the door and down the hall after grabbing his camera and placing it around his neck. He kept walking, feeling his quick beating heart slowly come to a steady beat. Once outside, he went to the art class he had before the incident to grab his backpack. It wasn't a surprise that the classroom was empty of students.

"Near." the teacher spoke up, a gentle smile on her face.

He walked over and handed over his camera, knowing that it had shut off a long time ago. Turning to grab his backpack, he stopped when he heard her voice.

"Near, you pass the assignment today. Ms. Wedy told me everything you've done."

Near didn't acknowledge it as he grabbed his gray abandoned backpack. "Thank you." With that, he walked out before she had any time to comment or say anything else. He walked down the hall, walking to the last class of the day.

The teacher stopped his lesson briefly. "Near, you are not late, neither are Mello and Matt. Please, take a seat, take out your notebook, and take notes. Class, as you can see…"

Near tuned him out as he took his seat and started to take the notes on the numbers on the board. He didn't acknowledge his two brothers that were to his right or the worried girl in front of him and kept trying to solve it in his mind the sample problems. After a few twenty minutes, the class rang and the students were allowed to leave; however, Linda turned back to Near with a worried face.

"What happened, Nia?"

"Nothing."

"But you, Matt, and Mello were late–" Linda started but was cut off by Mello's voice.

"What's it to you?"

Linda gave a small frown at the other, but then turned her attention back to Near. "Are you okay? You've been acting strangely."

Near gave a small nod, feeling two pairs of eyes staring at him closely. "Excuse me, Linda, I am going home." With that, he stood up and walked out of the room, Mello and Matt following close behind. He walked down a semi-crowded hall he found, but his backpack was pulled. He stumbled into another room as his gray eyes slightly went wide. Nobody noticed the scene as Near was dragged into the empty classroom, the door closing and locking as Matt turned around. Mello let go of the gray backpack, pulling back and crossing his arms.

"What do Mello and Matt want now?" Near asked with a bored tone, his hand coming up to twirl a piece of hair.

"Matt and I wanted to continue what we were doing to you at lunch," a small smirk coming onto Mello's face. "In here."

"That is against the law." Near countered, but frowned slightly when Mello's smirk grew.

"You sure were disobedient to the law earlier, Near. I think we can get you to give in again. Do you think so?" Mello asked, taking a step closer to the boy.

Near slowly took a step back, feeling rather intimidated by Mello's presence. He looked over to the door, but noticed that Matt was leaning on it, his arms crossed and his right leg bent to push at the door, his head lying on the wooden frame.

_My heart is as soft as a brick. My heart is as soft as a brick. My heart is as soft as a brick._

Near kept mentioning the mantra in his mind, walking back. He felt his backpack collide with the white wall. Staring up at Mello's eyes, he slightly tensed, but made no move to escape.

_They have trapped me inside. If I try to run, Mello will only pull me back as I am trying to get Matt from unblocking the door. It will take too much time–_

Soft lips were pressed against his mouth as his eyes widened slightly, a blush creeping up on Near's cheeks. He felt his eyes slowly starting to lower, his mouth slightly parting as he felt the sensations to kiss back. Mello pressed further, grabbing his chin gently as he tilted his head to the right, gently passing his warm and wet tongue inside. Near slowly lowered his eyes, his mind being lost completely in the sensations of it. He slowly started to relax, all logic leaving his mind. Rubbing his tongue back, Near tilted his own head to the right, wrapping his arms around his older brother's neck. Pulling him closer, the kiss started to become more passionate and fiercer. He could feel his own heart beating heavy and quick.

Mello grabbed both of Near's pale cheeks in the palm of his hands, kissing with more passion. He pressed Near's head against the wall slightly, his hands never letting the gentle grip loosen.

Near tried to get his brain to focus on one thought, but he started to lose his train of thought in Mello's kisses. He could feel the tongue moving and even his thought process as he thought this was wrong, but the kiss was too distracting. The sensations that were on his lips and tongue were becoming too much. The pink blush that had appeared on his cheeks was slowly turning into a light bright red one.

"Mello…" Near breathed, his body starting to shiver.

"Mmm…" Mello responded, his eyes closed as he kept enjoying the other's reactions. His hands slowly went lower, wrapping themselves around Near's waist as both of their bodies were pressed together.

Tongues slowly rubbed against each other as lewd noises could be heard, breaking the silence of the room. Near felt his lips as they were starting to be coated with saliva as the kiss started to turn sloppier and needier. He felt Mello's hands slowly start to rub against his sides. Leaning into the pleasure, he tried to bite his own lip from letting out a sound, but bit the other lower's lips instead.

A small moan came out of Mello's lips as he pressed his body tighter against Near, a small mouth coming out of Near's mouth. It made the chocoholic shiver more, lust starting to cloud his own mind.

Finally breaking through the foggy gaze, Near pulled away and gasped as air rushed into his lungs. He panted, holding onto the blonde's shoulders as he felt his lips slightly puffy and coated with the other's watery bodily liquid. A shiver ran through his body as he thought about Mello's kissable lips and mouth trailing onto his neck. "Wait…" Near panted, his voice barely holding its monotone structure.

"Yeah, Near?" Mello breathed by his ear, sending more shivers throughout the boy's body.

"We cannot." He answered, his voice growing back its emotionless mask.

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Why are you sending me mixed signals?"

"I…do not mean to. I believe that this is sexual lust, Mello. I know that these are the only sensations I will be able to feel. I will never have a girlfriend."

"Why?" Mello asked, giving a small kiss to the white-haired boy's ear.

A shiver ran past him as he closed his eyes slowly. "Mello, I am a '_freak_.' Your sexual lust will go away after a while. I shall be alone again."

Mello said nothing, slowly giving another kiss. Instead of touching on the topic, he asked another question. "Why are you letting us touch you?"

Near couldn't help, but notice that the kiss to his ear was a nice sensation and the combination of Mello's soft voice on his ear was even better. "Matt was only a chance of opportunity. Mello and Matt touching me was because of my body's urges. Mello kissing me right now is because…" he had run out of excuses. He wasn't sure what else to say.

"You seriously believe the bullshit you're giving yourself?" Mello kept his voice calm, giving a few kisses to his younger brother's neck.

Gray eyes slowly closed in pleasure at the sensations, a small nod following behind it.

"Near…are you saying this because of what L said? You know that Matt and I don't care, right? We want to be with you. It isn't because of sexual lust, like you believe it is. Even if it was, why do you think we would be working this hard to get you? We can get any girl we want. We have almost every girl here wrapped around our finger."

"Mello likes a challenge."

"That reason is quickly brought down because Matt doesn't."

"…"

"You wanna know something, Near? You're not admitting it to yourself, but you _like_ this. You like _Matt_ and _I_ touching you. You want to know why? I'll tell you why. It's because we actually have brains and even though we are below you, we are the closest ones to you. Linda doesn't catch your interest because she isn't as smart as _us_. Besides…" Mello trailed away, slowly moving his hands back to Near's butt, gripping both cheeks with his hands.

A small gasp was heard as the body next to his shivered, a moan refusing to let itself escape from Near's throat.

"You want a _man_to touch you. You don't want to touch a _woman_ because you have no experience. You want to be with someone attractive, smart, and someone who can pleasure you. You want someone who can follow your thought process after you because if the other is smarter than you, then you get frustrated and lose interest. You want to be dominant with academics, but when it comes to sexual encounters or sex, all you want is to be pleasured. You want to be _submissive_. You want to be calm and to relax into your lover's arms."

Near shook his head at all of those statements, but kept continuing to listen to Mello's words.

"Near, you don't see it, but we do. We wouldn't keep coming after your stupid stubborn self as if we weren't positive. We _know_ how to read _emotions_, but you? You don't know anything. These sensations are all new and confusing, aren't they?"

"…"

"You trusted Matt to touch you intimately because you knew that he knew what he was doing. You're letting me speak because you know what I'm saying might be true, but you doubt yourself. You keep hesitating because you don't know which one of us to like. You think that you can't separate your heart and you don't want to break your own delicate one or ours because then our brotherhood or friendship or whatever fucking thing you want to call it won't ever be the same. Also, you're hesitating because of L. L is your idol as well as he's mine, but you don't see that he'll need time to come around, Near. He needs to know, but it isn't our business just to blurt it out to him. He'll eventually figure it out and what he said today about A and Beyond. We aren't _them_and you should not compare us to _them_. We are Mello and Matt, not A and Beyond. You are Near, not L."

"…"

"Matt and I have already gone through all of those fucking emotions and shit. We can tell you that we are willing to share each other because we know what we want in the end. We know that other people will only break our hearts and if we have a problem, then we won't be stupid to go another direction and to cheat on each other. I might become angry and so will he, I might go to chocolate or alcohol while he might go to video games or cigarettes, but that's how we cope, Near. You might close up and not talk to us all together, but we are willing to put in every single effort we can to make this relationship last a long time. Do you seriously doubt my words, Near?" A small frown was on Mello's lips as he stared at the other intently. "What else do I have to say to convince you that we actually like _you_ for _you_?"

"Mello has called me a, 'freak.'"

"I have and I can explain that, big-headed idiot. You kept making me feel weird things and I didn't know how to cope with them like you are right now, but Matt started helping me with it. After a while, I just gave up and accepted it. You want to know why I keep being mean to you during school hours and at home?"

_I already know._

"L is at home and people at are school. We can't reveal who we truly are or else we'll get a lot of questions and perhaps even separated. We are only acting."

"Mello, I cannot accept your offer to be with Matt and you."

"Why not?"

There was silence as Mello and Matt stared at Near, waiting for the answer that was going to come out of his lips.

"My heart is as soft as a brick to this subject because of _L's_**_expectations_**."


	4. Personification

"…"

Gray irises' were staring at the two figures that were walking in front of them. After the incident in the classroom, both boys went quiet and there was nothing to speak about. Near kept looking at the back of their heads, wondering what was running through their minds. _I am L's son. Even though I don't care about society's expectations, I care about L's. Mello was right. He is my idol and he deserves my respect; if I were to become entangled in a relationship with Matt and Mello, then it would be a big sign of disrespect, would it not? Yes, it would be. I should try to contain myself and deny them when they come onto me again, but I believe the percentage is very low now._

"What do you want to eat?" Mello's voice asked once they were at their home's door, something coating his voice that Near couldn't describe with an adjective.

"What do Mello and Matt wish to eat?" Near asked dully, staring at Mello's hands work at the keys and the lock.

"I'm not hungry." Matt spoke up, green eyes flickering inside. His smile was gone and his voice had the same tone Mello's did.

"…" Near went to take a step inside, but two arms were outstretched in front of him, forming an '_x_.' Blinking his eyes, he looked up at the blond and redhead, wondering why they had stopped him. "May I ask what is wrong?"

"Someone's in the house."

Near slowly looked inside the home and noticed that something was out of place. His eyes scanned the living room, but they found the source after a brief scan – an empty jar lay on coffee table.

"What do you wanna do, Mels?" Matt asked, looking over at the blond for a command.

"I'll go in and make sure it's clear, you stay with the big-headed idiot. You…" he turned his eyes to Near. "You're too fragile to do anything."

A small frown was on Near's features, but he remained quiet.

"What am I supposed to do?" came a whisper from their left.

Immediately, the three tensed up. Mello reflexively made a fist and aimed it, holding his strong tanned arm back, but stopped when he saw the introducer. Blue eyes gave a blink, a look of disbelief throughout his face. He lowered his hand and stared at the man in front of them, "L?"

A man stood in front of them. He was hunched over, dark eyes with matching dark rings under them, spikey raven-black hair. He wore a white shirt and faded jeans, no socks or shoes – L's casual wear. A small smile was gracing his lips. "No, _Mello_."

At the name that was being said, Near felt an instant need of protecting the blond. He lowered Matt's outstretched arm and stared at the man right in the eye. He hid his emotions well and took the L lookalike attention's away from the other two. "Beyond Birthday, correct?" Near asked, slowly bringing a hand to twirl his hair.

"Yes."

"May I acquire the knowledge on how you know our names?" _If you are smart as L says, then you'll be able to catch my word choice Beyond, but will you correct me? Instead of only saying Mello's name, I said 'our,' and I want to know your counter. The game has begun._

"Of course! L's friend has told me all of _your_ names." He said, slightly emphasizing the word.

"…" _A mocker._

"How the hell did you get into the house?" Mello asked, a small frown on his lips. He didn't flinch when Beyond's black eyes stared into his own.

"I picked the lock, very simple."

_Is he laughing at our stupidity?_

"That's a crime." Matt asked, also starting to get protective of his younger brothers.

"It is, but nobody was home and I didn't want to wait around for someone to hurry to the door. So, I picked the lock." Beyond gave a small shrug, bringing up his thumb to slightly nibble on. "May I come in?"

Mello was slightly taken aback by the question, but said nothing. Matt kept continuing to analyze Beyond quietly, then gave a small shrug.

"You may." Near answered for both of them, walking inside.

"Why thank you, my good chum." Beyond walked inside, ignoring Mello's and Matt's stares that were directed at him.

_I am not your 'chum.'_

"The…" Mello started with a very audible tone, his blue eyes following the other two's movements.

"…fuck." Matt finished the whisper, letting his eyes follow Mello's trail.

Near sat down on the couch in the living room, knowing that going up to his room to change into his comfortable clothes and starting on homework would be rude. He had an interesting puzzle and even a _dangerous_one in front of him, and he did not want to risk the chance to let Beyond get the upper hand. "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine, thank you for asking. Are you doing fine?" Beyond took a seat next to him, taking L's famous pose.

Near didn't even think when he nodded his head, but knew that that wasn't the answer he truly wanted to say. _If Beyond is a liar, then it is alright if I were to lie._ _Now that I think about it,_**_this_**_is the day that he decided to visit. L said to keep our eyes open when walking home and here he is. Is he making coincidences on purpose? That would make sense and it would only add up to the intangible evidence piling up against him._

"Are you sure? You have a troubled look on your face." Beyond spoke, a worried expression slowly making itself known on his face.

Near didn't react to the statement, turning his gaze to Beyond's. He held back from moving his gaze toward the left, where Matt and Mello were standing in the entrance way to the living room. "Yes, I am fine."

"Are you sure?" Beyond smiled, leaning in slightly after turning his body to the left to face the small boy – the worried expression gone.

"Why would I not be sure?" Near asked with a slight curiosity in his voice. _L said that Beyond Birthday was slightly below him in intelligence; does this mean he knows how to read me? This may be troublesome and I'll need to adjust my emotional mask, but I should be fine. If not, then he'll be giving me another puzzle piece I can use. I'll have to outsmart him somehow with the pieces I gain._

"I don't know, you tell me, _Near_." Beyond smiled more.

Gray eyes flickered slightly to the black eyes that were analyzing him. He couldn't help but notice that Beyond's eyes weren't on his own eyes. They weren't on his forehead, but slightly above it. He wondered what the other saw, but said nothing. He knew that the other two boys would notice eventually. _Is he seeing something about my head? L never mentioned that Beyond was mentally ill.. Depression does_**_not_**_cause hallucinations, but if he is in his twenties, when mental illnesses do appear, it may be completely possible. Or is this a trick? If so, then what is he up to? Does he want to know how much I notice? Or does he think we're idiots? He knows our names, but how much more does he know? I need to extract the information somehow._

"Would you like something to drink?" Mello spoke up, his eyes flickering from one to the other.

"I already had orange juice, thank you."

Matt blinked with confusion and slightly moved his head back along with his torso, almost as if the statement had physically slapped him.

"Please, pretend I'm not even here. I'll be quiet and I'll be a good boy." Beyond's lips slowly turned into a small smile.

"Whatever…" Mello spoke, turning his attention away and going upstairs to the bedrooms.

Matt hesitated, but stayed in his spot, staring at Near calmly. He knew that the blonde's emotions were getting to him and leaving his youngest brother alone with a possible serial killer was not a good option. He felt a bit nervous, slowly picking at the shirt cuffs of his school uniform.

"We will be upstairs if you require anything." Near spoke after noticing Matt's nervous shift of his body. He stood up and walked out of the room, listening to Matt's quiet feet following behind him. He went into his room, closing the door behind him. Listening, Near could hear Matt's feet walk into the shared room he had with Mello.

"…"

Dropping his backpack, he went to his drawers and pulled out clothes. After dressing, he grabbed his homework and started to quietly work on it. It wasn't long before he had finished it and he was thinking about the mysterious uncle downstairs.

_He's smart, polite, a mocker, and…odd. I saw no sadness, but…another emotion. Why was he staring the top of my head? He keeps saying our names in a certain tone. Why? Is he hinting that the statement about 'L's friend' is a lie? That would be obvious, but is he repeating it in a tone to make us seem more stupid than what we truly are? Surely he would know L wouldn't choose average kids, much less three if that were true._

A small knock came from the door, breaking his thoughts.

"Come in." Near said, not turning to look at the intruder.

"Grab your pillow and blanket, you're sleeping with us."

_Mello._

"No, thank you."

"I'm not giving you a choice."

"I politely refuse."

"Get your damn stuff already."

"…"

Standing up from his chair, he grabbed a white fluffy blanket and a pillow. Looking around at his toys, Near grabbed the puzzle with the 'L' on it. _If Beyond is to sleep in my room, I do not want him to see this. He may find out eventually if he has not gone through our rooms already. I suspect he has, but nothing has been touched with, from what I can see. And…it will keep me distracted for hours._

"Hurry up."

"…"

Grabbing his things, Near slowly walked over to Mello. Mello walked down the hall and pointed to his shared room. "You can sleep on whoever's bed you want. Matt and I will share one." With that, he turned away.

Near said nothing as he walked into the room. Looking at Matt who was playing with a video game while arching his back toward the floor as his back was on the side of the mattress, he refrained from commenting.

"Choose a bed, any bed!" Matt spoke up, continuing to click at the system.

"Mello's."

"…"

"…"

"Seriously? Now I have to get up…"

"I apologize, but you said to choose."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"I do not like the smell of smoke."

"Mmm." With that, Matt arched his body forward and kept clicking at the buttons. Shifting his body, he got off the bed and went onto his own, laying down. He never turned his attention away from the bright colors that were on his screen. "It's not that bad, you know."

"Scientists call it third hand smoking."

"…Gee, thanks. That makes me feel better about my life choice."

"…"

They both went quiet and a few minutes later, Mello walked into the room. He closed the door and locked it, looking over at Matt, then at Near, getting the message almost immediately. "You got kicked out of my bed?"

"He's a meanie, Mels."

"…Why must I sleep here?"

"Beyond's going to take your room while L gets his own. I'm sure that's what he would have wanted." Mello spoke, looking at Near with another look.

_I see. He is also obeying L's wish of sticking together._ "…"

"Mello, can we play a game?"

"No."

"But–"

"Near's right there, doofus."

"He can join too."

A blush came onto Mello's face as he glared at Matt's goggles. He said nothing, crossing his arms. "Keep it in your pants."

"I meant video games, but that sounds like a fun game too."

"…"

After getting the message, Near slowly felt his cheeks heat up. Two eyes remained emotionless as he put the puzzle down on the floor. Adjusting his pillow, he lay down and wrapped his blanket around himself. "I do not wish to participate in any sexual activities. Goodnight." He faced the wall, closing his eyes.

"This early?" Matt asked. "It's only 8 o'clock."

"Yes." Near frowned slightly, remembering the past two nights of less sleep. "I have not been sleeping well due to your nightly 'games.'"

"Haha." Matt laughed. "Ow! Hey!"

"Jerk." Mello frowned, holding up his fist slightly. Walking over to where Near was, he grabbed the pillow and blanket, then moved back to Matt's bed.

"If you sleep next to me, I won't be able to resist."

"…"

Near wanted to roll his eyes, but kept himself relaxed. He wrapped the blanket around himself more, trying to ignore the other two.

"Then I'll sleep with Near."

"Then _you_ won't be able to keep it in your–" he cut himself off.

_Mello is probably glaring at him with a deadly glare._ A small smile slowly graced his lips at the thought. He shifted slightly, feeling the fatigue slowly catching up.

"Then you're sleeping on the floor."

"What? But this is _my_ bed!"

"Then control yourself."

"Mello's too irresistible."

Near slowly felt a soft blush tint his cheeks. The frown on his lips was a clear manifestation of his discomfort, which he wasn't able to control in time. Sitting up and looking over with almost a glare, he noticed that Mello was sitting on Matt's bed, beside him, eating chocolate while Matt was still playing the game. _I am not going to get sleep without their libidos being satisfied, am I?_

"Hm?" Matt flickered his eyes over, then flickered them back to his game. "Are we too loud?"

"That's a stupid question to ask." Mello answered, taking a bite from the chocolate.

"If I engage with a sexual act with Matt and Mello, then will they both let me sleep?" Near asked, feeling his heart beat quicker. _I know that this is going against what I've said before. I want sleep and I know that the percentage is high when encountering another sexual encounter when being in the same room. Plus, going to sleep after sexual stimulation will help me get to sleep faster. I do not wish to wake up aroused or to being touched in my slumber. It shall satisfy their sexual needs and it will give me the relief of knowing that all of this will be over. This is just a game, nothing more, nothing less. They made their move and I have made mine. After this, the game is over. Even though we will all tie, I do not mind. I rather tie than lose to these two._

Mello froze as he dropped the chocolate that was in his hand. His mouth was agape as his eyes were slightly wide. Matt also dropped his game, his body frozen at the other's words.

"What?" Mello asked after finding his voice, staring at Near in disbelief.

"I do not wish to repeat myself." Near asked, slowly twirling a piece of hair. _My heart is still beating quickly. Why am I nervous around them? Shouldn't I be saying 'no' because Beyond is still in the house and he may be able to hear us? Why does the thought of being caught excite me? It is like those other times, now that I think about it._

"Mels?" Matt asked, ignoring the sound of his game that told him he had just lost.

"…"

Near kept staring at both of them, continuing to twirl his finger. "Well?"

"I'm thinking!" Mello felt a blush on his cheeks as he gave a small frown.

"…"

"We don't have to, Mels. I was just joking earlier anyways. I can keep calm and besides, I can take a cold shower. It's no big deal."

"…What's in it for you, Near?"

"…Pleasure and knowing that after this encounter, there shall be no need for Mello and Matt to continue to come after me."

"…" Mello stayed quiet, thinking about the choices.

_Why is he hesitating? I don't understand. If he only wanted sexual pleasure, then he would say 'yes' immediately – either physically or verbally. Why is he thinking the option through instead of acting on pure emotion? What is holding him back?_ As the questions were going through his mind, he felt his heart starting to beat faster and faster. His mind was coming up to a rapid conclusion that he didn't want to admit. _He…he truly has feelings for me?_

As he stopped twirling his finger, gray eyes looked up into gorgeous cerulean eyes. He could feel his heart skip a beat even though he didn't know what type of emotion it was or why his heart reacted the way it did. The room was quiet and he kept hearing the beating of his heart clear in his ears.

"…" Mello said nothing, slowly standing up from his position of Matt's bed. Walking over the short distance, he grabbed Near's cheek in his right hand. Lids slowly hid the emotion-driven blue eyes as he leaned down to slowly press his lips against Near's.

_My heart, why does it feel this–_

His thought process diminished as the blush came more prominent with the gentle touch of Mello's hand on his cheek. Slowly, dull gray eyes got a gloss to them as they were starting to close. Near pressed his lips back gently, not saying a word. Hands slowly slithered up the loose black shirt that Mello wore for bed wear, coiling around his neck. Parting his mouth slightly, Near felt a shiver run up his spine as he felt Mello's tongue greet him. Gripping the soft blond locks, he slowly moved his tongue back against the other. It was a soft and gentle kiss – there was no rush to it.

Leaning forward, Mello started to deepen the kiss. He lay Near down onto his own bed, crawling on top of the boy. His hands didn't roam anywhere even though he wanted to touch the boy below him. Ignoring his lewd thoughts, he continued to move his tongue against the others.

Arching his back slightly while dropping his emotional mask, lust-covered eyes opened to meet his older brother's. Noticing that they were closed, Near gave a small gasp and re-closed his eyes, kissing back with more passion. He brought the blond closer, eagerly rubbing his tongue against the other muscle. The taste of chocolate was quickly being replaced as both of their own two flavors mixed. His eyes shut tightly as he felt another pair of lips on his neck. He panted a bit quickly, trying to kiss Mello the best he could. Matt's gentle kisses were also distracting. "Hah!" He gasped a bit at feeling Mello's hands on his own sides, slowly trailing down while leaving a wave of pleasure.

Feeling the smile on Mello's lips as he responded made the blush on his cheeks turn redder. He was slowly losing himself in lust, his eyes closing. Uncoiling one arm from Mello's neck, he wrapped it around Matt's and gripped the other's hair.

"Mmm." Matt moaned at the feeling, starting to give more eager kisses.

_What…?_ Through the haze, Near wondered why the other had moaned. _Both of Mello's hands are on me, then…_

Deciding to take a chance to experiment through the fog of pleasure, he gripped Matt's hair tighter. A moan escaped the gamer's lips, which made the youngest brother shiver at the noise. He panted faster, feeling Mello's tongue starting to get more eager. The kissing noises were starting to get to him as his sensitive body was receiving multiple stimuli. Near tried to kiss back, but noticed that he couldn't keep up with the other. Subconsciously, he gripped both of their hair tighter, slightly pulling at the strands.

Both moans escaped from the lips that were ravishing him. Near bucked up his hips slightly, feeling the heat go between his legs. "Hah!" He gasped again, mostly at the feeling of friction.

"Mmm…fuck." Mello said, pulling away and panting slightly.

Near slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the other, but his chin was tightly gripped. His head was moved to the right as his hazy eyes stared at emerald green ones that were coated with the same haze. Near didn't have a time to respond to any of them when he felt lips on his own again. A foreign tongue quickly entered his mouth as his eyes slightly widened. He shivered, gripping Matt's hair tighter. The moan that was muffled by their kiss was making Near's body hotter.

_What's…happening…to me?_

The gamer leaned in more, deepening the kiss. He gripped Near's cheeks, taking domination quickly through the passionate kiss.

"…Mm…" Near let out the small moan, his brain starting to fail him. He panted as he tried to kiss back the best he could while trying to be dominant, but Matt's tongue was too skilled for his own.

Pulling away, the redhead panted, Near following in suit with the heaviest panting of them all. He tried to open his eyes to look at them both, but couldn't. His eyelids were too heavy.

A harsh knock was what snapped the two older boys out of their hazes. They looked over to the door while Near was trying to find his thought process again. "Boys, may I speak to you?" It was L's voice.

"Shit." Mello muttered under his breath, staring at the Near, then looked over at Matt.

"…" Matt said nothing, standing up to get the door.

Mello quickly draped the blanket over Near's body and head, letting him regain his composure. Giving a small nod to Matt, he sat quietly.

Matt opened the door and moved aside, letting L come in.

"Ah, is Near asleep?" L asked, staring at the lump. Matt closed the door and sat down at his own bed, grabbing the goggles from his nightstand and placed them over his eyes again.

"Uh…" Mello started, thinking of what to say that would be a half-true and a half-lie. He knew that L would probably see through a full lie and didn't want to be a suspect under his gaze.

"No." came the voice from under the covers. Near slowly sat up, but let the blanket cover his legs.

"Oh? What were you doing down there?" L questioned.

"I was trying to sleep while Matt and Mello argued of who should sleep next to me." Near lied smoothly.

"Oh?" L asked, wanting clarification.

"I don't want him to be on my bed." Mello frowned, adding to Near's lie.

L gave a small nod, slowly coming to bite his thumb while he looked over at Matt for his own explanation.

"I'm too lazy to pick Near up to bring him over to my bed." Matt shrugged, leaning back on his black covered hands. "It was enough work to get the door."

"I see." L spoke, giving a small nod. He seemed believed them, which the three were silently grateful for.

Near could feel his heart racing quickly and wondered if L could hear it._No, he can't. If he would, then he would question me more. I should avoid this minor paranoia._

"I see Beyond is sleeping in Near's room, that's good." L praised them indirectly.

Mello gave a small smile while Matt did nothing. He didn't care; however, Near took a silent note of L's word choice and tone.

"Well, I should let you all get to sleep, yes?" L asked, smiling softly.

"Before you go…" Matt started.

"Yes?" L looked over, a slight confused look on his face.

"…Would you still love us as your children, even if we did something bad that you disliked?"

The beat of Near's heart was slowly decreasing, but at hearing Matt's question, he quickly started to speed up again. He felt like gripping the blanket on his lap, yet he remained emotionless. Turning his eyes, he looked at L directly, noticing that Mello was already doing the same.

"Yes, I would. What have you done?" L asked, staring directly at Matt.

"…" He gave a small shrug. "I just hacked into the school's network database to look up this teacher that's hot." Matt gave a small smile.

_Is he bluffing?_ Near asked in his mind, feeling a negative emotion coating his heart. The frown that appeared was something that he didn't mean to show, but quickly tried to replace it when L's eyes started to bore into him.

"I see." L looked back at Matt, the smile gone from his own features. "Are you lying?" He asked, quickly pocketing both of his hands in the faded jeans pockets.

"…" Matt said nothing, staring at L directly in the eyes behind his orange goggles. He tried his best to remain calm, but his body kept trying to tense up on its own. He was silently thankful for the barrier his goggles gave him.

"What are you all hiding?" L asked, looking over to Mello and Near.

"Nothing." Mello said casually, trying his best to hide his nervousness.

"…" Near didn't speak, knowing that lying on the spot was something he wasn't sure he had mastered. He felt slightly nervous under L's gaze now, knowing that the other could read him like an open book. He had time for the earlier lie, but for this one, he didn't.

"Near?" L asked, noticing that the small one didn't say anything.

His stomach turned inside as if it physically flipped inside out. _I don't know what to answer. I don't know_**_how_**_to answer. Do I tell him the truth? No, then I would be betraying my brothers. If I don't, then I would be betraying L. I don't know…I can't choose between them._ The lie from his lips came out naturally, which caught them all by slight surprise. "He looked up a male teacher for me. I wanted to know if he was single."

Green and blue eyes refused to show their shocked expression. Emotionless black eyes looked back into dull gray eyes. "…I see." L spoke, his tone of voice different. "You want to sleep with a teacher?"

"Yes, I do." Near lied again, feeling that it was coming out easier now.

"…I wish to speak to you in the morning. This is a serious matter we need to discuss." L turned around, staring at the slightly cracked open door. "I may speak to you now, though."

The door opened a bit more, revealing Beyond with a small smile on his face. "Oh? Did I interrupt something?"

"No." L's voice was cold as he walked towards the door. He shut it close behind him. A few seconds later, two pairs of footsteps were walking down the hall.

"…" Near said nothing, staring at Mello get up to lock the door.

"Near…" Matt whispered, getting up from his spot and going over. "You…"

"Saved his ass." Mello finished the thought, sitting down at the spot he was before – next to Matt.

"Yeah…" Matt said, staring at the other with slight disbelief.

Under their gazes, Near felt a blush come onto his cheeks. He gave a small nod, letting his right hand come up to twirl his hair. "I did."

"Thanks." the smile could be heard in that single word.

"…There is no need to thank me, Matt." He kept twirling his finger, staring at the other in the eyes. "Matt is very intellectual. I have underestimated him. You now have my respect."

Mello gave a small smile as Matt's eyes quickly widened.

"…We should sleep." Near suggested, feeling his cheeks tint up with redness. His heart had skipped a beat and now his heart was fluttering. He wasn't sure why, but their touches lingered. It made him happy that he could still feel their warm hands and lips on his own body.

"Agreed." Matt and Mello spoke in sync. They let their backs press back into the soft mattress, relaxing almost immediately. A soft sigh escaped their lips as Near looked down at both of them. Matt was currently on Near's left and Mello was at his right. A small smile graced his lips as he leaned over Matt to turned off the lamp that was at the nightstand. Lying down next to them, he felt his heart race faster and faster.

_What is happening to me?_

Two arms wrapped around his torso in the darkness. Near felt his face heat up as his smile slowly grew. He could hear both of their breaths and it made his body relax. Slowly closing his eyes, he gently placed one of his hand on each of theirs, letting himself fall into sleep.

The next day, eyes slowly opened to stare at the two bodies that were to his right. Matt and Mello were currently changing into their uniforms. Near felt a red blush come onto his cheeks as he couldn't tear his eyes away from the two bodies. He felt his heart start to race in his chest.

A knock on the door broke his trance; he was silently thankful, but also angry at the owner of the knock.

"Just a minute." Mello said, flipping his slightly wet hair back his shoulder, unlocking and opening the door a few seconds later.

"Ah, you boys are up." L's voice filled through the air, with a small smile on his lips. "Please join your uncle and me once you are all finished."

Near could barely hear the quiet steps that walked down the hall. Slowly sitting up, he felt sleepy, but knew the grogginess would go away soon. "Good morning." He spoke, his voice filled expressing his emotions. He was thankful that his heart was beating normally now.

"Morning." The other two said in unison.

"…"

"You wanna shower? Your clothes and towel are in there." Mello pointed to their bathroom.

"I beg your pardon?" Near looked up, wondering why his clothes and towels were in a room when he didn't bring them inside the night before.

A small frown was on his older brother's lips as he crossed his hands in front of his uniform, a blush coming onto his features. "It's not what it looks like, stupid! Beyond brought them in for you." He turned his gaze away from the eyes that were boring into him, the frown remaining.

"Thank you."

"Whatever."

A small snicker came from Matt, but there was no punch that was received, which he was silently grateful for.

"Excuse me." Near spoke again, standing up and walked into their bathroom. He closed the door behind him, staring at the lock. Instead of locking it, he started to shower. _I did not lock it because of Beyond. If he were to do something, then I would want to get to the other two quickly._ Near tried to keep up the lie, trying to ignore the blush that covered his cheeks and his heart that was having a race. After a quarter of an hour, he put on his uniform. The smells that lingered in the air were the other two – which he felt comforted him in some way. _Is it because they are smart and physically stronger than me? My mask and walls are falling around them. I am beginning to be myself, but…at what price? No, I_**_can't_**_feel anything toward them. Last night was for my benefit. Last night I saved Matt because…because…_He kept searching his mind for an excuse, but found none.

_This morning because…_

Yet no other excuse.

Turning the silver knob, Near walked out and noticed that his two brothers were waiting for him. His heart felt a bit fluttery at the sight at not feeling abandoned, but he couldn't actually tell what this feeling was.

"Done?" Mello looked up, taking a bite of a bar of chocolate and snapping it off.

"Hm?" Matt asked, wanting to look up from his game, being too distracted by it.

"Yes." Near answered, looking at his solid gray backpack and his own shoes that were by Mello's legs caught his attention right away. Walking over, he reached over to grab them, but felt a fingertip slowly trail on his back. A small blush came onto his features, a frown following. "…" Looking up at the blond, he gave him a very small confused look while his eyes were shining with curiosity.

He was smiling a gentle smile that Near felt alluring and captivating. Mello gave a small shrug, continuing to trail his finger onto the other's back.

Matt, who was next to Mello, gave a small chuckle. He muttered under his breath, "Nice view."

"…" Mello gave a small frown at the other, smacking his back lightly.

Another chuckle escaped his lips, his eyes never turning away from the device.

Near took the time to grab his shoes and sit on the floor, glad that there were socks inside of the shoes. The considerate action made a small smile appear on Near's lips. He was glad that the other two hadn't noticed. Grabbing the laces, he tied them into bows and stared up at his brothers. Dropping down his voice to a whisper, he spoke, "How shall we get information on our only suspect?"

Mello bit another piece of chocolate, pointing to Matt. He savored the delicious treat, returning the whisper, "Matt can hack into the United States' network or whatever as well as the United Kingdom's. We'll see who this guy really is. L gave us three names to start out with and if that doesn't work, there's always the library achieve. I'm sure we can find something. After that…well, it depends on what we find."

"I expect to be paid for my services." Matt joked.

"…" Mello glared at him.

Near watched at the other two interact, then remembered the conversation from last night. _Was Matt truly lying about looking up a teacher?_

Shifting during the seat on the floor, his eyes kept staring at the readhead. Something inside of him was shifting and he couldn't explain it. Before he had time to think about it more his body moved on its own. He stood up and grabbed Matt's shoulders.

"Huh?" Matt spoke, looking up at the intruder that had physically touched him. His eyes widened in shock when he felt a pair of lips on his own, dropping the game system onto his own lap.

Near ignored the blush on his own cheeks and pressed his lips a bit more onto Matt's, then pulled away. He tried to ignore Mello's snicker, but couldn't. The heart that was usually cold and had a lot of barrier as walls was slowly starting to melt. Jealousy was on his mind as he thought about Matt looking up a female teacher for his sexual pleasure.

"What…" he asked, dumbfounded. The sound of the game being lost didn't seem to affect him.

"L is waiting for us for breakfast. We should leave." A hand grabbed around the backpack's handle, slinging it over his shoulder. "…" He walked out the door, hearing Mello's snicker. Smiling lightly, Near ignored his quickly beating heart. He made a mental note. _I feel more_**_happy_**_…_

"Good morning, Near." L spoke, being the only one in the kitchen.

"…Beyond is not here." He set his backpack down and took his usual seat.

"No, he left almost a half an hour ago to go look for something. He wasn't specific, but it may have been a job."

"…"

"I believe now would be a good time to discuss what happened last night."

"Of course."

"Matt! Mello! Don't come into the kitchen!"

"What? Why?!" Mello shouted back.

"I'm having a talk with Near!" L calmed his voice, smiling down at his son.

Near stared at him in the eyes, feeling a bit of a shiver going through him. _Stay strong. Remember the lies and tell them to Matt and Mello later. Try to remain as calm as possible, this is only an interrogation. Choose your words carefully and quickly. Do not hesitate. L's your idol, but…why am I lying? For Matt? No, that would be incorrect. I am lying because I started to lie and it would be…illogical to keep this lie up with more lies._

"Who is the teacher?"

Before Near had time to think about it, he automatically answered with his monotone voice. "Dr. Stephen Gevanni."

"…I see. Are you having sexual urges?"

"Yes." The lies were starting to come out more naturally.

"For your teacher?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"He's smart, handsome, and he may be able to understand me." _Why does it feel as if I am speaking about Mello or Matt? No, my mind…what's happening to it? This isn't logical thinking. What happened to my mind? Why can't I stop thinking about them? I need to concentrate._

"I see. Do you have feelings for them?"

Near quickly caught the mistake, but refused to let his body to react. He looked into L's deep eyes, knowing that expecting less from the famous detective would be an insult. It was slightly surprising that L knew rather quickly and wondered where he had gathered the evidence. _Was it last night when I was under the pillows? No, it couldn't be. Then again, this_**_is_**_L I am talking about._ " Them?'"

"Yes, you have heard correctly. Matt and Mello. I know you aren't interested in Dr. Gevanni."

"May I ask where you have concluded this?"

"Beyond heard you all last night having an intimate time, he told me, and I have my own evidence." A frown was making itself onto his features. "However, he has no reason to lie, Near, but you do. Your actions were clear when you were under the blanket or are you telling me that Beyond is _lying_?"

Near felt his blood run cold. He kept staring at L in the eyes, not expecting that the turn of events. Instead of keeping up the lie, he gave a small nod. "Then, yes, it is correct."

"…Why have you lied to me?"

"It came out naturally."

"…I see. You do have romantic feelings for them, yes?"

"I don't know."

L's eyes seemed to slightly light up at the idea. "As long as Beyond is here, I expect for you three to work together to keep each other safe. I know that I cannot forbid you all to stop being intimate because the probabilities of that happening are very low. I would like to dwell on this issue, but Beyond is the most important one right now."

A small frown was made onto Near's features as he looked up at his father. He wasn't sure what to say and stayed quiet, keeping his emotions controlled and at bay. "…"

"I will not sugar coat my opinion. It is disgusting and I want you three to stop it. I do not approve of your relationship at all. Whether it is romantic or plainly sexual, I see no purpose to it. I only see one heart breaking or all three hearts breaking, and all of you being distracted from your studies."

"You have never opposed us to being in a relationship with people." Near spoke, his eyes turning as hard as ice. He didn't want to hear the words that were coming out of his father's mouth nor the insults anymore. He wouldn't stand for them even if L was his and Mello's idol.

"I did not think average people would distract you. _They_ will."

"No." Near spoke up, sitting up in his chair slightly as he looked L harder in the eyes. _I will not stand it if you insult them. You may be our father, our idol, but you will not step all over them while I am here. They_**_are_**_my friends and they_**_are_**_my family._

"Pardon?"

"We are not like _them_, L. Matt and Mello are just that: Matt and Mello. I will not sit here and take your insults. I know that you are a great detective, an idol, but you shall not openly discuss your disgust with me without me expressing my opinion." His heart was starting to quickly race as adrenalin was filing up his body, but he maintained his monotone voice and emotionless face. "You are personifying that Matt and Mello are like Beyond and A. Do you wish for me to be you, L? That won't happen. I am _Near_. They are not _your_ brothers and this is a _different_ situation. Perhaps you have been traumatized by the situation you have encountered, but I am not. I am aware of my surroundings and know the heartbreak that may result of this. L, you take risks, but I don't. I take time to analyze everything myself before I make a solid decision. Yes, perhaps we are engaging in intimate actions, but is that really your business as a father that has always been absent?"

"…"

"Do you believe that when you are barely here? Do you believe it would be your right? You are a pater on the adoption papers, but are you truly an emotional attached father? No, you are not. We have gotten only to see you for hours at a time. That isn't fair to children, correct? We may be rebelling and no, L, this isn't a suggestion for you to spend more time with us. We are finally being dependent on each other and I do not mind. It is better to be with someone that will be there instead of a patent that only comes home for breakfast."

A clap made the two eyes shift away from each other and onto the door. There, Beyond stood, a smile on his face. "What a wonderful speech, little Near. I never knew you had it in you."

"Beyond." L frowned slightly, wanting for the other to leave.

Beyond kept his smile on, giving a small shrug. "He has a point."

"Get out."

"Fine, fine." Beyond turned on his heel, walking into the living room.

"This discussion is over." Near spoke, standing up to go to the other's room.

A hand reached out to grab the other. L stared deeply in his eyes, standing up from his chair and leaned into Near's personal space rather closely. "Why?"

Instead of tensing back, Near used his other hand to slowly twirl a strand of hair. "I don't know, but if their theory is correct, then you shall accept it with time. I shall wait for that time, but I am well aware that I will not accept their feelings and will end up alone."

"You know this, yet you continue?"

"Yes."

L let go of the other's hand, thinking about the answer.

"Excuse me." Near pulled away, but was stopped by Beyond's voice when he entered the living room to go upstairs.

"You give L too much credit. You shouldn't expect too much from him. Do you want to know why, little sheep? He will eventually separate all of you and he'll break all of your hearts. How does it feel to feel love as your first emotion and know that heartbreak will be your second?"

Near stood where he was, not turning his attention away. He could see what Beyond was doing with his words, but remained quiet. "…" Instead of waiting for more poisonous words, he went up to the other's room, his backpack in hand. The words were now lingering and he was not sure if they would go away for a while. "…" Entering without knocking, Near sat on the edge of Mello's bed after closing and locking the door behind himself.

"What happened?" Mello asked.

"He knows."

"…"

"What did he say?" Matt questioned.

"I shall discuss it at school; may we walk instead of going with L?"

"Yeah, sure…" Mello spoke with minute worry, staring at Matt's eyes.

The next two days, the three fell into a certain routine. At school, Matt and Mello stayed together during lunch while Linda and Near were in view of the other two. They barely left each other's sight – except for the photography class. After school, they went to the school's library. Matt would hack into the country's database to look for Beyond's record on the fifth floor, while Mello would look through the library's digital files on the third floor, and Near would kindly and politely ask the librarian for the archives that he was able to access when mentioning L's name on the bottom floor. They would stay all in the view of people, knowing that Beyond would be watching at any time. After the library, they would go to a small fast food restaurant to eat, then go home, do homework in the shared room, and sleep. L and Beyond had not been home when they were there and the three didn't mind.

It was now Friday night and the results still came up to zero. They couldn't find anything on Beyond, which was odd, since they knew now that he would want his message to be public. A small irritated sigh came from Mello's lips as he looked up at the ceiling from his bed, Near lying next to him, and Matt next to Near, the dim lighting making the room relaxed. "He's real good at hiding his tracks, if he has any on paper…" Mello spoke, closing his eyes.

"Mm." Matt replied, his eyes almost closing as he lay on his stomach, staring at his two brothers.

"…" Near said nothing, his attentive eyes watching his older brother's, a hand coming up to twirl his own hair. _After I told them what L said, it is as if they started to think about the case more. They stopped their advances. Is it because of L? No, they said they didn't care earlier. Why am I thinking about this? I shouldn't be. I should be happy that they are, but their smooth arms being wrapped around me at night, I can't help but find them relaxing. After waking up from my sleep I feel more energized. They are always on my mind and in class; I try to look at them without getting caught by anyone. Linda doesn't suspect anything, but if I keep staring, then she will ask questions, will she not? Will she be disgusted like L? The thought makes me sad. How long will L take to accept it?_

"You alright?" Mello asked, staring at the other. "You're rather quiet."

"Yes." Near answered, wondered how the other could know, but said nothing.

"We're sad too, you know." Mello spoke, trailing his eyes to Matt, then back at Near, so he would get the message.

"Is that why your sexual advances have stopped?"

A visible blush came onto his features. "You're so straightforward and blunt, idiot, but yes, that's why."

"…"

"Mm." Matt spoke, shifting a bit where he was. He breathed slightly now, his lids hiding the green eyes.

"He'll come around, don't worry." Mello stretched slightly, taking a bite from the chocolate bar that was forgotten on his chest.

"Mello…would you call yourself an expert on feelings?"

"I guess…why?"

"…I have a question."

"Then ask it, stupid."

"Why does my heart beat fast when I'm around you and Matt?"

Crystal blue eyes widened at the statement as they fully registered it. Looking over at Near and putting his chocolate bar down on his chest again, abandoning it while he looked at Near a bit confused. "What?"

"…"

"Let me ask you a few questions before I jump to any conclusions. That way, you won't have anything to say against it even though I already know what it is. Are we always on your mind?"

"Most of the time, yes."

"Does your heart feel weird when you see us?"

"Yes."

"Does it beat faster?"

"Yes."

"Does the thought of Matt and I going to other people upset you?"

"If you mean romantically or sexually, then yes."

"Are you listening to yourself? Do you have an idea of what this might be?"

"…"

"Well?"

"No, I cannot come up with an idea."

"Near, you idiot, you're having your first two crushes."

"…" _This is what one feels? It feels strange, but oddly pleasurable. It makes me happy and I feel things that I've never felt before. The only feeling I dislike is knowing that they can get someone else, but they don't seem interested in anyone else, just me. I am interested in them for numerous of reasons and most of them are selfish. It seems as if I've finally admitted these feelings and I know that Mello is not lying. He would have no reason and he seems to be genuinely telling the truth. What would be his purpose of lying? No, there is no lie here, but only truth._

"Near?" Mello asked, staring at the other.

"I apologize for spacing out. Goodnight, Mello." With that, he closed his eyes.

"Hey, what the fuck? Wake up and tell me what you're thinking, will you?"

"…" Near opened his eyes again, staring at the other. "Why?"

"Are you seriously stalling or are you a fucking idiot when it comes to emotions? I have the right to know, you know. This is an once-in-a-lifetime confessions and I'm all ears." He reached over Near, shaking Matt slightly. "Doofus, wake up."

"Mmm…?" Matt moaned slightly, opening his sleepy eyes. "What?" He asked groggily.

"Near has something to tell us."

"Hm?" He moved his body up slightly, rubbing his eyes with both of his hands.

At knowing that he would have to tell them what he truly felt, Near felt his heart start to race. He wasn't sure if he was ready. Slightly shaking his head, Near looked at Mello with a blank stare. "I refuse to say."

"Near…" Mello warned.

Matt blinked slightly, shifting so his body was facing the other two. He was sleepy and his eyes showed their obvious discomfort for being awoken, but he kept listening to the other two, wondering what the big news was to make Mello look excited for him to wake him up from his slumber.

"I politely decline."

"Don't use that bullshit on me. You were answering my questions earlier just fine. Do you want me to ask questions for you to answer them honestly? Would that make it easier? Or…do I have to get it out of you somehow?" Mello's lips slowly turned into a small smirk.

"How are you going to do that, Mels?" Matt asked, fully awake now. He was curious.

"I don't know...one look would make someone speak, but Near seems to be immune to that. That means I would have to use something else, like my hands, maybe?" Mello smirked a bit more, slowly moving closer to Near's small body.

The small boy slowly moved back, feeling his side gently tap Matt's chest. _He will somehow get the answer out of me. Before he does anything physical, I would like to answer his questions. That seems to be an easy route and we would both get what we want._ "I accept to answer Mello's questions. I do not want to engage in anything that involves physical touch."

"Alright, then do you agree that if Matt asks questions, you'll answer?" He moved his hands again, but Near gave a quick nod to stop them in their tracks.

"Yes, I agree."

Matt looked from one to the other confused, but said nothing and stayed quiet. He would wait for Mello's lead to follow.

"Fine, I will. I'll start off with an easy question. Do you find us physically attractive?"

"Yes." Near answered, feeling a bit nervous at the question. His heart slowly started to race as he tried to get it under control. He moved his body away from Matt's. _Mello's gaze alone doesn't send my heart speed up, correct? Matt's alone doesn't either, but when they both look at me, it is as if I cannot control my heart._

"Do you find us attractive for our personalities?"

"Yes."

"Do you find us attractive because of our knowledge?"

"Yes."

"Do you still find me stupid?" Matt spoke up.

"No."

"Do you finally see Matt for what he truly is?"

"Not quite, no. I have not observed his skills when dealing with technology, but I am well aware that hacking into government systems is a lot of work. We have not been caught yet and if he has done this before, then I am confident in his skills set. His laziness troubles me at times, but I am becoming accustomed." Near answered, knowing it was more than what Mello had asked for.

"What do you find attractive about Mello?" Matt asked, knowing that his blond best friend wouldn't ask.

"His problem-solving skills, his looks, his knowledge, as I've mentioned before. Even though Mello is a risk-taker, he is doing it at an incredible time frame. I must think logically and need a lot of time to solve one problem, but Mello exceeds me at times by choosing the correct answer faster than I can."

A small blush came onto his older brother's cheeks. He crossed his arms slightly, then gave a small nod. "Alright, what about Matt?"

"He is intriguing. His eyes are magnet-like. Every time he takes off his goggles, my eyes don't go anywhere else. He always seems to surprise me when dealing with an issue."

Matt gave a small smile, ignoring the blush on his cheeks. He chuckled slightly, the smile turning into a small smirk. "Really, now?" He leaned in close to Near. "You really like my eyes?"

"Matt." Mello warned with a tone.

"Fine, fine." Matt pulled away, a content smile on his features. "That makes me real happy, Near. Those few nights ago when you lied for me, it made me feel special. I know that I had zero to maybe…a 2% chance with you, and Mels even said that I had more, but I didn't believe him." He gave a small shrug, the smile never disappearing.

"…I see."

"Onto the next question before we get in deeper with this emotions love shit." Mello spoke up, breaking the moment that the one-sided that the other two were having. "You said when you had your talk with L, that you still defended us. Why?"

"Mello's reasoning."

"What?" He looked confused.

Near slowly started to twirl his hair again, "He may be our idol, Mello, but he is a normal human being. I am not sure what compelled me to do such an action, but my intuition was telling me to take over the situation before L got the upper hand. You said that we were not them and I believe it. I do not want to be L, but his successor. Those are two different things."

"You're telling us that you defended us because of your own selfish needs?" Matt asked, shaking his head slightly. "You know what I hear hidden in those sentences? '_L is my idol, but not my master or father and I won't let him push me around._'"

"…" _He is very accurate._

"Idiot, why do you always sugar-coat everything for you to be selfish?" Mello frowned, crossing his arms. "Are we not good enough to hear your emotions or something?"

"No."

"Then?"

"It is the same reason Mello does not show his emotions with me openly." _A sign of weakness._

"…"

"Alrighty then." Matt started, thinking of a question to ask.

Near wanted to ask both of them what attraction they both saw in him, but he didn't want to stoop down to that level. He knew that it would be embarrassing to ask and that it would give them another reason to peruse the three-way relationship.

"You said you wanted to be L's successor, right?" Matt asked, knowing that Mello would be too prideful to actually ask the questions he was about to ask. "Then will you continue to be Mello's rival for that title? Or are you willing to work together?"

"…" Near stayed quiet, knowing that the first question was a rhetorical one. When he mentioned the second and third question, he paused to truly think about the answer. Looking over at Mello's eyes, he knew that the other wasn't doing this to get ahead of the game. _No, that would be a win by cheating. Mello isn't the type to cheat. He has huge pride and I know he has respect for me. Another person, a stupid one, perhaps female, he would be able to manipulate easily to extract information of her. Then, he would dispose of her, that simple. How far would he go?_ A small frown came onto his own lips as he thought about what Mello had said previously about getting any girl in the school they wanted. "I am willing to work together; however, it is fun to have a rival, I must admit that."

"What up with the frown you just showed me?" Mello asked, taking the last piece of chocolate into his mouth.

"I do not like thinking about Mello and Matt going with other people."

"Huh?" He looked at the other confused.

"Hm?" Matt did the same, then gave a small smile, a mischievous idea popping into his head. "You don't want to share us? Why?"

"Mello deserves Matt, Matt deserves Mello. Another human being does not deserve you two. You two are too intelligent to waste your knowledge and time on them."

"…Really." Matt spoke, looking at Mello. "Well, you know, if we didn't get you, then we would go to this other pretty girl. She's not that smart, but her body is _very_ nice."

"Yep." Mello agreed, a smile coming onto his own features. "She's petite, barely has any boobs, and she has bleach blond hair and gray eyes."

"…" _Why would they go for another girl that is not on the same intellectual level? They both confuse me._

"She is a senior. Of course she doesn't even know the planets of our solar system, but I'm sure we can teach her, right?"

"…" _She does not know the eight planets in the solar system? Why am I angry? Why does this upset me a lot? What are these two boys doing to me?_

"Yeah, Matt. We can teach her everything we know. I'm sure that she doesn't even know the basic facts of who Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth are in our history, but she'll be a fine substitute."

"I beg your pardon?" Near asked, not being able to contain his anger anymore.

"I'm sure you know the psychology. She doesn't have natural white hair, but bleach blond is–" Mello's blue eyes widened when he felt a pair of warm lips on him.

Near shut his eyes, pressing his lips even harder on the other. Gripping the other's shoulders, he leaned in closer, then pulled away, a small pant escaping his lips at the stimulation. Opening his gray eyes, he stared at Mello's face was in complete shock. Looking over at Matt, he saw the same expression. A small smile tugged at his lips, but he quickly pushed it away.

"The hell, Near? That isn't like you at all." Mello spoke, a confused frown on his face.

"Yes, I am well aware; however, you two are doing something to me that I cannot explain. My theory may be wrong, but this may be jealousy, by the way I am reacting to such comments that I should not care about."

"…Ya think?" Mello asked, a small chuckle escaping out of his lips. "You really are an idiot, you know that?"

"…" Near said nothing, feeling his adrenalin coursing through him. He didn't say anything and looked down at his hands. "Mello, Matt, may I ask you both a question?"

"Go for it."

"If it's as shocking as the kiss, then give me a minute." Matt joked.

"…" Near said nothing, then spoke up when Matt shook his hand.

"Joking, sort of."

"I would like to know if you two ever intent on breaking my heart. I have doubts and before you say anything, Mello, about how idiotic it is, I am being completely serious. I have brought one wall down for both of your answers and I don't expect a harsh response."

"…" Mello said nothing, the smile disappearing. "No, Near. We won't ever break your heart if you give it to us. We expect that you do the same with ours if we do end up giving it to you. Matt and I haven't even given it to each other because we want to actually make this relationship special even though we already hit fourth base." His voice was soft.

"He's right." Matt added, a small smile on his lips. "Near, you don't know, but we first thought the same thing you are right now. We thought these were only weird sexual urges and we went to fourth base after telling each other. That didn't help, though. It made our bond stronger and we thought that it was just the after effects of sex, so we kept doing it. After a while, we got the message loud and clear that it wasn't our hormones at all, but our hearts yearning for each other. After a while, we noticed that our hearts wanted yours too."

Near gave a small nod at the statements and felt his heart flutter at the very last one. Slowly reaching up and gripping outside his heart, he looked from one individual to the next. "You are saying that this is not sexual lust? That this is…a real emotional attraction?"

"It starts out lustful because that's the only logical side to it, Near. Then, when you seriously listen to your heart that's beating fast, feels weird when you stare at the other, or keep thinking about the other person almost every single hour of every single day, then yes, it is emotional attraction."

"…"

"Was that all?" Matt smiled, looking at Near, then at Mello. "I'm sleepy."

"Go to sleep then, idiot." Mello's voice turned back to its usual self.

"Fine." Matt smiled, reaching over to turn off the lamp next to him. "Goodnight, you two."

"Goodnight." Mello shifted, wrapping his arms around Near and Matt, breathing lightly by his ear.

"So needy…" Matt mumbled as a joke, returning to wrap his arm around Mello's waist.

"Fuck you." The other mumbled back.

"When and where?"

"…"

Feeling both arms around him that were protecting him, Near slowly started to smile. He felt his heart race faster as both bodies were practically next to his. Shifting slightly, he looked up at the ceiling, one thought never leaving his mind.

_They make me feel…_

**_Human_**_._


	5. Antagonist

"Hey, Mels."

"Yeah?"

"I think I found something."

"What? Let me see."

The gamer leaned his body to the side, letting the blond stare at the computer screen. He trailed his green eyes that were behind his goggles to the digital file. After long searching and trying to run the American database, he had gotten a hit for a 'Beyond Birthday.' It was difficult since the files were hidden and encrypted with a code, but after half an hour and clicks of the computer keys, he had done it. He was rather proud, the confident smile that was always there was now a shy one.

Currently, they were at the library, on the fifth floor. They were in a secluded spot where nobody walked around, the lone computer being covered by shelves of books. It was a special computer that was rarely used by anyone, the lucky ones that found it could use it, but it was mostly librarians at night that did.

"…His picture is intriguing." A monotone voice spoke, Near's small body slowly leaning over Matt's black and red stripped shirt back.

"Thanks…" Matt spoke, mentally kicking himself as he registered what Near had meant. He felt his cheeks slowly give a small blush. Slowly he crossed his arms slightly.

"You two are the most anti-social people I've ever met, Jesus." Mello spoke, staring at how both of his brothers were uncomfortable.

"…" Matt didn't say anything, feeling the blush grow on his features. "What now, Mels? We have his file, but we can't actually print it…and I can't send it to my laptop either, that's just the definition of stupidity."

"Let me guess, we can't take a picture either?"

"Nope."

"We may write it in a notebook, but as a code."

"But, wouldn't it waste too much time when trying to code something from scratch, chums?" A voice spoke, the smile being prominent in it.

All of the three eyes looked over and stared at Beyond standing there, his thumb at his mouth, gently chewing at the skin.

"I mean, what I would do, is simple. I would just write the important information, then I would burn the notes if someone ever got to me."

"…" Matt didn't speak, feeling frozen in his spot. He turned his eyes to Mello, noticing that the blond had a dumbfounded look. Looking over at Near's cold posture, he felt his fingers trying to grip themselves, but kept his own emotions from showing. He knew that Beyond could read them all well and only one body action could give everything away.

"How would you know if people are coming after you?" Near took the lead with the question, blankly staring at the other dead in the eyes.

"Well, I'm smart enough to know."

"Arrogant idiots always lose." Mello spoke up, his normal demeanor showing.

"…" Matt stayed quiet, watching both of his brothers agreeing silently on a plan to turn on Beyond.

"Yes, but people are stupid and predictable, children. What could they possibly hold against me?"

"You should never underestimate your opponent." Near answered quickly, continuing to look at the other.

"That would be an amateur mistake." Mello spoke, adding to Near's words.

"You are telling me that I will let mistakes slip?"

"Are you confessing to something?"

"Why are you stalking us?"

"I wanted to know if you were safe."

"That's a lie."

"You could have gotten our numbers from L and contacted us. Yet, you chose to stalk us."

"Why would you speak to me over the phone? It's obvious that you suspect me of something bad."

"Who said we suspect you of something bad?"

"What if we suspect you of doing something else? Like incest? We are doing the same thing and we believe it is right, but that's our biases."

Near felt a small blush brush on his cheeks at Mello's words. _He's lying…isn't he?_

"What would give you that idea?" Beyond asked, the smile slowly starting to twitch downward.

Matt couldn't help the small smile that he was unable to control slip by. He wasn't sure why, but he was proud and felt as if the other two were more attractive when working together.

"You approved of my rebellious outburst with L."

"We narrowed the probability down."

"I see."

"Is something wrong?" Mello smirked a little, staring at the other. He was feeling proud that they were getting the other upset.

"Did you have anything to do with A's suicide?"

At that, they all turned their eyes to Near. Mello felt as if the other had made an idiotic move, but quickly used the advantage to shift his eyes to Beyond. Matt did the same, knowing that Near wouldn't give an explanation with body language. Beyond stood there, hands in his pockets now, a small frown on his features. A huge nerve had been hit.

"No." Beyond answered, the tone of his voice different. The smile was gone and his voice didn't sound playful anymore, but there was a small hint of anger in his eyes.

"Are you angry at L?" Mello asked.

"I am not." Beyond hesitated, taking one hand out of his pocket.

Matt took a mental note, but knew that Mello and Near knew what it meant.

_It's a classic gesture of hiding something. I doubt he is hiding anything in his pockets._ Near thought, slowly bringing a hand up to twirl his hair. "Then why do you want to be like L if you dislike him?"

"I beg your pardon?" Beyond asked, trying to get his composure back.

"Let's see, L dislikes you being with A in a romantic relationship, but you want to be like him. You dress like him and we doubt that L copied you, that doesn't add up. Why do you want to be the one that you despise most? And trust me, we know the reason, but we want to hear it from you."

_Mello is mocking Beyond's intelligence now._

"…" A small smile slowly crept onto the lookalike's face, which made Matt shiver slightly. "You want to know, children?" He took a step forward, glad that there was nobody around them in the library. "Well, let's see, what do you think, first off?"

_He's trying to regain control of the situation._ Near kept twirling his hair, speaking up before Mello could, "We asked first and we would kindly like that you answered." He moved beside Mello more, protecting Matt and the computer.

Mello seemed to have gotten the message quickly since he took a small step forward, protecting the others and staring at Beyond in the eyes. "It's rather rude to avoid your '_chum's_' questions, is it not?"

Matt shifted slightly, touching a key on the computer that made everything go away. Relaxing slightly, he kept staring at the two, glad that the key hadn't made noise when he pressed it.

"True, very true." Beyond answered, slowly reaching over Mello and Near to lightly rub Matt's red hair.

They all blinked by the sudden action, feeling rather confused and dumbfounded why the lookalike had done that. Blue eyes watched as the pale hand kept moving through the red locks, fingers disappearing through it.

Matt looked up at Beyond, his goggles creating a physical and emotional barrier. He said nothing, observing the other closely.

"What are you doing?" Mello spoke up.

"I think it's obvious, is it not?" Beyond spoke, his fingers continuing to rake at Matt's hair.

"Is there a certain purpose?" Near asked; his own hand stopped twirling his own lock of hair.

"It's the only thing I can see."

Mello looked at him confused, but Near didn't react. Matt was trying to process what it meant.

Turning away, Beyond placed his hands in his pockets and walked away. The smile slowly manifested itself as he stopped and turned around to face them. "Boys, if you don't mind, the strawberry jam in the house is running out. Could you pick some up on your way home?"

"…" the three didn't answer as Beyond continued to walk, disappearing with the shelves that contained many books as his camouflage.

"Mels, we're not running out of strawberry jam. The fridge is full." Matt started once their uncle disappeared.

"He's mocking." Near spoke, letting a hand come back up to twirl his hair. "Strawberry jam is considered red, correct?"

"Yeah, whatever. What the fuck did he mean by, 'it's the only thing I can see?'" Mello gave a small frown, trying to analyze the words and actions quickly. "Does he mean he's blinded by love or anger that he's willing to commit murders?"

"Mels, what if he just means he can only see the color red?" Matt gave a small shrug. "I mean, with his method, he makes L think about every action, but leaves out the message for him. With stupid people, well, the message is too difficult, but with L, it's not. I doubt he thinks we're idiots and if he does, well, he's a fucking stupid idiot himself. My point is, what if he said those words on purpose? He knows we're going to take the long route to think about everything he means, but we won't find anything because its symbolism, right? So, what if it's just what he's saying?"

"Matt, you're a genius." Mello smiled at the other.

Matt felt his cheeks slowly heat up as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I mean, I–"

"You have been paying attention to his actions and even the minute ones, which is very observant of you." Near spoke, his hand continuing to twirl the lock of white hair.

"Mels, it was nothing, you motivate me every time to– wait, what, Near? Did you just…_compliment_**_me_**?" His eyes were slightly wide at the other's actions.

"Yes, I did." A monotone voice answered, the finger still twirling the curl of hair. "If he only sees red, then his brain or eyes may have a problem. It would explain why he stares at the top of people's heads instead of their eyes."

"You too?" Mello asked, remembering the night that he went to tell Beyond that he would be taking Near's room; the dark eyes kept staring at the space above his own head.

"Yes." Near spoke, no hesitation behind his voice.

"What do you think he sees?"

"Hallucinations do not necessarily have to be horrid. Hallucinations can be peaceful at times. After the death of a loved one, a grieving person has hallucinations as the natural grieving process. They may see things or they may hear the voice of the loved one that has passed away. However, I doubt Beyond sees A on the top of our heads, that doesn't sound very likely. The grieving process may take weeks and if the suicide has happened years ago, then it's most likely that Beyond has moved on."

"You sure about that? Look at what he did." Matt spoke up, giving a small shrug.

"He's still after L." Mello agreed, giving a small sigh. "That's not important. The thing is, he wouldn't be hallucinating A, would he? It's been years since A's death."

"Assuming that it is not trauma, disease, mental illness, or drugs, what would be the only cause?"

"Superpowers." Matt shrugged, not believing what he said either. "It's crazy, the probability is low, but the kids at school always talk about comic book characters having different types of visions or something." He shrugged again.

"That…" Mello started, pausing, wondering if he should even answer it at all.

"Is impossible." Near answered, looking over at the window.

"Well, let's say the probability is low," the redhead started, "Do you think he would actually tell people?"

"Fuck no."

"If it is a superpower, then what would it be?" Near looked over at Matt. "What would be the cause?"

"I don't know, I barely listened to other people, but wasn't there a movie that came out a few years ago? It was about a woman that got eye transplant surgery or whatever and she ended up seeing dead people. Would it be something similar to that?"

"You're saying Beyond's eyes aren't his own?" Mello thought about it. "He's never had surgery, though."

"I don't know, Mels, if somehow, some magical way he got eyes of a creature, then it would make sense, right? Even though it's not possible because of reality laws or whatever you fucking call them."

"Fine, let's go with it. What fucking creature's eyes would it be?"

"Hmm…" Matt gave a small shrug, not wanting to think about the situation later. "Well, he was prone to suicide, right? That's a type of death and he kills. That's all we know."

"A shinigami, perhaps?" Near spoke up, twirling his hair, he looked to the upper right corner of his eyes. "Suicide and homicides have a lot of strong emotions and if Beyond was exposed to suicide at a young age, then perhaps a shinigami did visit him. However, what would be the purpose of a shinigami giving Beyond his eyes?"

"What if he was born with them?" Mello theorized, giving a small nod. "That would be most likely if he did have those eyes. If they were shinigami eyes, what would he see behind them?"

"How people died?" Matt asked, giving another small shrug.

"Perhaps." Near agreed. "If he saw the way that A was going to die or when he was going to, being helpless to it, and not being able to do anything would get to anybody's mentality. It would get to a child or a teenager more, mostly if they were romantically involved. It's all guilt."

"I almost feel sorry for him." Mello leaned back on the desk that had the computer. "If he didn't fucking murder that small girl, then I might have sympathized with him more, but no. You want to fucking know something? I don't care who he is, what his past is, it's not an excuse to murder people. You know what? L probably agrees with this. A crime is a crime and that's all there is too it."

"Mels, that depends on how you see it." Matt gave a small shrug. "I mean, don't you believe in emotional trauma and diseases?"

"Matt, he seems mentally sane."

"Is he really?" Near asked, turning his gaze away from the air and onto Mello's blue eyes. "What we believe is a crime is biased, Mello, and I'm sure you are well aware of that phenomenon, but that is not what we are trying to figure out. Going back on topic, if he did have shinigami eyes, would that explain what he sees on top of our heads? He doesn't seem to be having a flashback or a premonition. Then, would he see when we die as a date above our heads?"

"Probably." Mello agreed, crossing his arms and leaning back on the desk more. "I can see how that would get a person mentally tired, but to snap at L? Why would that happen? It's the other family members that got mad at them."

"We're missing a puzzle piece." Near sat down at the chair he was occupying before, staring at the computer that had the screensaver's gray letters spinning. "L seems to have a strong sense of justice. Would he tell the other family members of this?"

"He seems to have a strong disgust for it, doesn't he? Would that be an answer?" Green eyes shifted from the blond to the white-haired boy.

"If he cherished his family, then it would be the bystander effect, would it not be? The only difference is that instead of most of the bystanders being helpless, they would be the aggressors."

"That would make sense, Mello." A finger halted before it twirled the white hair lock. "Usually, L would not care about such actions. This would be seen with the investigators he works with and even law enforcement that don't approve of his work, but adding the variable in that makes him a teenager, it would change the mind's actions."

"It isn't L's fault. It's cultural influence."

Matt gave a small smile, knowing that the blond would go to extreme lengths to defend their father. "Then, that's our conclusion? Beyond has fucking shinigami eyes?"

"It makes sense, but is it even real?" Mello gave a small sigh, knowing that their conclusion probably sounded very idiotic.

"It may be." Near started to twirl a lock of hair again, staring at the computer in front of them. "It may not be real to us, but it may be to him. Hallucinations are a very strong symptom and the mind is a very detailed creator. It doesn't have to be real to us for it to be real to him."

Mello gave a roll of his eyes, pushing himself off the desk. A small smirk crept onto his lips. "You know what I mean, you big headed idiot."

"…"

"Well, lovebirds, if you're done flirting, we should go home. I want to go take a nap, then play that new game that I've been neglecting."

"Matt, haven't you finished the fucking game three times already?"

"Five, but it's still new. What's your point?"

A small chuckle escaped the younger brother's lips as he shook his head slightly. Cerulean eyes stared into now soft gray. "What about you, Near? Will you go and hang out with Linda?"

"No. If you believe I hang out with her during the weekend, you are mistaken. I hang out at the library, Mello. If it calms you, I hang out alone." With that, the teenage boy slowly stood up, his eyes closed as he tried to relax for a few seconds.

Matt snickered slightly, covering his mouth to make the noise lessen, but his brother had heard it.

Lips slowly turned into a frown as a punch flew to the redhead's shoulder. It wasn't a soft punch, but it wasn't a hard punch either. It was in between and it had the characteristics of playfulness. "Don't laugh at me, you jerk." Mello gave a smile. "I know you get jealous of that girl too."

"You got that right, but it's funnier when you are jealous in front of me. It's kind of cute, to be honest."

At the comments of jealousy and possibly envy, the small white-haired boys cheeks lit up slightly.

After Matt's comment, it was Mello's cheeks that were brightened; however, he gave a small frown to not show entire weakness. He let his middle finger show, his anger slightly showing on his facial features. "You're the most jealous one."

"Mels!" Matt looked shocked and slightly hurt, but it was all an act. He gave a smile at the other's words. "Yeah, sure."

"May we go home now?" a slightly soft monotone voice came from their right. Both the redhead and blond had to think if what they heard was true.

"Sure." Mello spoke for both of them, grabbing the backpack that was brought here. "Let's go, then." Mello walked away while Matt turned off the computer, following afterwards.

"I'm glad I got these gloves." Matt spoke, knowing that his fingerprints wouldn't be on the keys of the keyboard.

"…" Near said nothing, continuing to follow Mello. He felt a small smile wanting to appear on his face, but held it back.

After a few minutes of walking, the three ended up in front of the house. There was only the backpack on Mello's shoulder and there was no white plastic bag in either hand pair of hands, which meant that the three boys never went to the store to get the jam for their uncle.

Reaching over, Matt gave a small knock, wondering if the other two were inside. Green eyes that were hidden behind orange goggles saw as the door was open to reveal their father in his usual attire. He felt that he couldn't even speak.

"Don't you three have a key?" L asked rather curiously, but there was a distinctive of annoyance.

"Yes, we do have a key." Mello spoke for the three. He couldn't help but wonder if his father still felt disgust for them or if he was annoyed at something else.

"Oh, I see." L spoke, knowing what the three were up to when they knocked at the door. He moved aside and left the door open for them, bare feet walking to the kitchen.

"…" Near said nothing, trailing his eyes to Mello's figure. _Does he feel sad and hurt? I wonder how much pain he's feeling, but didn't he choose this outcome on his own free will? Then, did he see the hurt coming? Does Matt care? Most likely not. Would he be hurt at some level? Most likely. Am I hurt? No, not yet. Or if I am, I can't feel it. Perhaps my mind has pushed the emotions away to be able to cope with this or perhaps the case is too distracting._

"Oh, you three are back." Beyond's voice chipped in, the individual standing in the entrance way of the kitchen, a slightly wide smile on his features. "Did you not bring the jam?" The smile was replaced with a sigh as dark black eyes noticed that neither of the three had any bags that contained delicious strawberry-flavored treat.

"Go get it yourself." Mello spoke up, walking away with his backpack in tow.

"I probably would have if I had known that you weren't going to bring me some, chum. I'm glad that L has some here." The smile quickly returned. Beyond walked over to Matt, reaching over and rubbed the red locks on the other's hair. He let his finger go through them, admiring the way it was silky and soft.

"…" Matt stayed quiet, looking up at his relative while his body tried its hardest to stay relaxed. He wanted to say something, but found that his quiet personality was taking over. Green eyes stared into black ones – the only barrier was the orange goggles – and the pair of green noticed that the black ones were positioned on top of his head. He felt another hand on his head and quickly his eyes trailed to it. It was pale, but gentle. Shifting his gaze, he was met with gray irises.

"May you please take your hand off of him?" Near spoke with his monotone voice, removing Beyond's hand from Matt's hair.

Matt felt his eyes slightly widen at the other's action and gesture, but said nothing. "…"

"My, my. Do you get jealous easily?"

Instead of answering the question, he grabbed Matt's soft hand and walked away, up the stairs, following the invisible trail that Mello had left behind. Upon entering the room, the two individuals noticed that the blond was sitting at the bed, staring at the contents of a book had a light blue outer shell.

"What's that?" Matt asked first, walking inside.

"This book is about shinigamis. I forgot I had one lying around." Mello turned the page of the book, quickly skimming through the contents.

"I doubt you will find anything in there." Near started, slowly coming up to twirl a strand of hair.

"Wouldn't the Grim Reaper be a better match? I mean, we're English, not Japanese." Matt started, sitting down next to the blond. "Now that I think about it…"

"The name 'Rue Ryuzaki' is Japanese, Matt. The personification of a Grim Reaper is a skeleton with a scythe and he has no eyes, it wouldn't work." Mello flipped the pages more, a small smile on his lips. "Why ask such a silly question if you know the answer?"

Matt gave a small shrug. "I just wanted to see if I had missed anything." Scooting away from the bed, he reached over to grab his game system. Knowing that the 'new game' was already inside, he turned on the device by sliding the button and waiting for the precious graphics.

"You are smart." Near spoke, sitting next to the redhead, he looked down at the console, but said nothing more.

"Thanks." Matt answered, a small smile on his lips as he started to press at the buttons.

Near turned his attention over to Mello, noticing that he wasn't turning the pages periodically anymore; he was staring at a certain page. "Did you find anything that may give us answers?"

"Sort of." Mello spoke, a small frown on his face. "I don't know, but this book tells me that there a lot of shinigamis due to different Japanese religions, such as Buddhism and Shintoism; however, the contents of this book are just the general few. If we want to find something more meaningful, then we may have to get another book." Turning the page, he stopped when he noticed a smiling, evil looking, and black-winged creature. "Or not."

"…" Near stared at the creature, his eyes unfazed. He ignored the clicking noises next to him and the annoying sounds that were coming from the device. Reading the article, he twirled his hair out of habit. "I see."

"Hold on." Mello commanded, being a sentence or two behind. "I see it. There are a lot of shinigamis, but for this religion, the creature can see the lifespan on top of the human's head. For a human to be able to gain such ability, they would have to sacrifice half of their life."

"An average male's life is 85 years in Japan, 79.5 years in the United Kingdom, and 77.4 in the United States. If we were to take half of the numbers, then Beyond's life span would be 42.5 years with Japan's life expectancy, 39.75 years with the United Kingdom, and 38.7 years with the United States."

"His nationality can be narrowed down to British and Japanese. I have a feeling that it's one of those two. Beyond wouldn't make up a Japanese name because of inspiration for anime shit or whatever. He did it for a purpose and reason, but let's put that aside. Why would he give up of his life for eyes that see death?"

"He didn't." Near answered quickly, the answer coming to him clear and quickly. "He was born with them."

"With wanting to get vengeance, he wouldn't risk it. The variables all state differently." Mello indirectly agreed, not wanting to admit that Near was right about Beyond.

Near shifted his eyes slightly, then looked elsewhere. _If I think too quickly, then Mello gets upset with me; however, if I do not think normally, then he will get more annoyed. I sometimes wonder what the better option is._

"Alright, then, let's leave it at that." Mello spoke again, stretching slightly. "Back to the Los Angeles murders, we know who the other two victims are and how they were brutally murdered. Now, what would be the physical evidence, exactly? I'm sure a warrant for DNA won't be fucking possible after these many years."

"Perhaps we need to let him confess, one way or another. There was supposed to be a fourth victim, but they never appeared. Beyond may strike here, in front of L and for us to see. I believe he's taking notice that we are more of a threat than he anticipated."

"What a fucking idiot." Cerulean eyes rolled, arms crossing in front of the broad chest. "Do you believe that he underestimated that Naomi FBI agent?"

"It is a possibility. Beyond would want L's attention, not a woman's that may seem like an amateur. The only thing I do not understand is who would be the fourth victim. If he killed in a pattern, such as B.B., Q.Q., B.B., then wouldn't he kill a Q.Q. again?"

"Not exactly." Mello spoke, crossing one leg over the other, leaning back on the palm of his hands that were extended behind his back. "That's what a normal person with no experience would think, Near. Beyond wouldn't make it easy for the police. He would want them to feel stupid and the only logical answer that makes sense is a person with the initials B.B."

"Male, female, female…" Matt murmured, hitting the buttons on the console as he thought about it for both of the people he had crushes on. "Male." He spoke, continuing to hit the buttons. "That's what would be obvious, right? I mean, if he murdered another female, then he would have a ratio of preference. It's obvious that he doesn't. B.B. was a male, Q.Q. was female, B.B. was female, and now B.B. will be male. That evens out the fourth victim's gender, doesn't it?"

"Yes." The middle brother agreed, leaning back on the bed a bit more, staring up at the white ceiling. "We have to think about the age range now to narrow it down even more."

"Forty-four, thirteen, and twenty-four." Near mumbled to mostly himself, thinking if the numbers meant anything. "The numbers may not mean anything, but that doesn't sound like Beyond's MO. He thought about it this far, he wouldn't give up. The only question is that he most likely found the victim, but would he follow them here?"

"Yes." Slowly lying down, Mello gave a small frown, signs of disgust becoming visible on his features. "The poor victim is probably here, now that I think about it. Why would he waste it? Maybe he knows the victim and somehow manipulated them here."

"Why change locations, Mels?" Matt asked, leveling up in the game.

"When people become desperate and are probably on the brink of insanity, they are willing to do anything. Serial killers that get caught are usually cocky, arrogant, and have an attitude of being successful. If he does believe that he has shinigami eyes, then he would probably think of himself as a God."

"No." Near's harsh voice interrupted. "He wouldn't think he was a God at all. He isn't that stupid, Mello. He would think that he is better than L or at least wants to be. That is the missing link on why he is trying to humiliate L. He doesn't care about anyone else; this is a battle between them. If he wanted to go after his family, he would have done it by now. L must have done something in Beyond's eyes that was injustice."

"He didn't defend the relationship." Matt started to push the buttons faster and harder, watching as the character in the game kept moving under his control. "To be completely serious, I wouldn't like it if I was alone in the battle with my lover. If my whole family kept pressuring me and kept looking at me with a disgusted face, the people who saved me, then it would be a fucking insult to have your own brother – who should fighting at your side – just turn against you because of morals or whatever."

"…" Near thought about that, silently agreeing with a barely noticeable nod.

"We were looking for a reason for L to do something, but if he was a teenager at the time, he was probably confused. He knew that it was morally wrong and instead of doing something, he didn't do anything at all. That's what must have gotten Beyond angry. L was probably torn between a sense of justice and a sense of injustice."

"Perhaps." Near stared, looking at Mello for his opinion.

"I'm going with Matt on this one." Mello bent his abdomen, quickly sitting up. "L is expressing disgust, obviously. Whether it is because he is disgusted with himself, he really is disgusted with the situation, or being disgusted with his family members, it's obvious Beyond supports our relationship and dislikes L even though he always wants his attention."

"If we can find the fourth victim in this city, perhaps we can use them as bait."

"Near…" Mello started, feeling slightly shocked at the other words. "Are you implying what I'm thinking of what you want to do?"

"To catch a murderer, it would be easier to catch them committing the crime instead of finding barely any tangible evidence." He reasoned.

"That's messed up. Do you want to use someone as a pawn?" Matt flicked his eyes upwards, then down to the small gaming system.

"Yes." Near answered honestly and bluntly.

"You know that would risk the person that he's going to try to kill, right? What if the fourth person does get murdered because of Beyond?"

"We will be sure not to let their life go unavenged." Near answered again, his tone emotionless.

"The hell, Near! People are humans, not your pawn pieces!"

"The other three would want justice."

"Do you hear yourself? Is your heart that cold?"

"I am listening to every word I am saying, Mello. Beyond Birthday is not an idiot. He will try to kill the fourth person and he may succeed. This is the only chance to catch him in action and commit him of the crime. If done correctly, then the life will not be wasted."

"That's too risky." Mello shook his head, a small frown forming onto his lips.

"Do you have a better strategy?"

"Hell, anything else might be a better strategy than that one!"

"May I hear it?"

"…" Mello stayed quiet, but gave a small sigh at the other's words. "You really are something, you know that?"

"I am human–" his words were cut short by a pair of soft lips connecting with his. Near's eyes slightly widened at the other's actions, but he did nothing to separate himself from the other or kiss back. Instead, he stayed there while staring at Mello's closed eyes. He could feel the heat from the other's cheeks, which made his lips want to become into a small smile, but he held back. He knew that Mello would probably take the smile the wrong way even though the blush on his own cheeks was a sign to tell him that he wasn't laughing at the other, but as a sign of happiness.

Pulling away, the blond wiped his lips and looked away, the frown still on his features. "I know you're human, you idiot. Don't you think I know how to classify a homosapien when he's right in front of me, doofus?"

"…" Near said nothing, a small smile slowly gracing his lips. He felt it want to twitch more to become bigger when Mello's blush turned a bit redder, but he kept silent. He was about to lean up for a kiss when a knock at the door brought all of their attention toward it.

"Come in." Mello spoke, wondering if it was L or Beyond.

Beyond poked his head inside, a small smile gracing his lips. "Good afternoon, boys."

"Yes?" Near answered, knowing that Matt was too busy with his game. _Matt may be distracted, but I want Mello to know that I am his partner in this. I do not wish for him to do all of the work. Earlier, we were asking one question after another as a team and it seemed to work. The best way of interrogating would be that way; I am positive that will work._

"L left for work." He moved his body inside, his back hunched in a forward position. He didn't care that he had entered without permission. The smile kept lingering on his lips as dark eyes stared at above their heads. "I was wondering what you are all up to."

_Strange. Why would he be interested in us? Is it possible that he is getting upset because we are solving the puzzle pieces instead of L? We are better than L and eventually, Beyond will take note of that action. Will that anger him or will he panic and move his plan along sooner? Perhaps he will target one of us to destroy the foundation while getting to L? No, that would be a panicked move. Our initials are M.L. and N.L. He wouldn't dare, would he? No, that would defeat his whole purpose of Los Angeles. Even if we he were to start a new crime spree with us, then…would he go M.L., N.L., and M.L. again? Who would be his fourth victim, though? It would be too obvious for L if we were–_

"We're not doing anything." Mello broke through Near's thoughts with his words and the tone of voice; it sounded slightly harsh and a slight annoyance to it.

_I am glad that I do not hear that tone directed at me anymore. Why am I concerned? My heart feels–_

"Those are very mean words, Mello. I was wondering what you three wanted for dinner, L may not return tonight. Do you mind if you go to the store and get me some jam? Also, do you mind getting a few ingredients to cook?"

"…Fine, what do you want?" Mello gave a small frown, grabbing his black coat that had a fluffy collar.

"Well, anything is fine. I'm sure you have a cookbook, yes?" Beyond smiled lightly.

"Fine, I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Mels, want me to go with you?" Matt asked, looking up from his game and turning back down to it.

"Fine. Near, are you coming?" He automatically asked and regretted it immediately when he had asked that, knowing that Beyond would catch on quickly.

"I'm staying." Near said in a monotone, flicking his dull eyes to attentive cerulean. "I am going to play puzzles."

Mello and Matt said nothing, the clicking of the game console being the only thing in the air. Standing up, the redhead followed the blond out of the room and over to the living room.

"We'll be back!" Mello called, walking out of the door and shutting it behind him, a curse being mumbled out of his breath.

"I heard your entire conversation," Beyond started, slowly trailing his fingertips on the outline of the bed. "You three figured it out…" the smile slowly disappeared, a frown replacing.

"…" Near said nothing, staring at his relative as he slowly came up to twirl a lock of hair.

_Hurry, you two._

"You know, I think that was a good test that you three took, but it makes me upset."

"Why would it make Beyond upset?" Near asked, feeling slightly threatened at the situation. The trio had broken L's only rule and now, Near was alone in a room with a serial killer.

"Oh, I don't know…you tell me." Beyond's voice was gentle, the small smile trying to come onto his features, but the frown dominating the space more.

"I do not know the answer to the question, which is why I am asking." Near started, slowly walking away. "I am going to be in my room, excuse me."

The killer's hand reached over to a pale one, the iron tight grip cutting out blood circulation to the other's hand. "Oh, so soon? You really are cold and mean, aren't you, Near?" Beyond gave a small smile, gripping the other's hand tighter.

"I am neutral." He spoke, trailing his eyes down to the other hand. It was starting to hurt badly, but he wouldn't give the other the satisfaction of the reaction.

"Really…" Beyond started, the grip moving upwards to wrap around Near's pale twist.

Before he had a chance to respond to that, the other was thrown up against the bed. His eyes slightly widened at the unexpected action, but felt the larger body quickly pin his arms down to his sides. Instead of showing more reactions, Near dulled his eyes and laid there, not struggling. He knew that he had gotten himself into this situation and Beyond had already figured it out. He knew that the murderer wouldn't let the advantage slip by. Strong hands slowly wrapped around the thin and pale neck, squeezing rather harshly. Near's trachea was slowly pinched in the throat, the lack of airflow starting to settle in. Gray eyes looked up at the dark eyes that were dancing with joy. Weak hands came up to the threatening ones that were on his throat, trying to remove them.

_I only have seconds to stop him. He won't kill me, but if I let him, he'll only need two or six minutes until I die from asphyxiation. Or was that for drowning?_

"You are very delicate, are you not, chum? You three got lucky, that's all there is too it. You're not smart as L nor are you as smart as me. It's not possible! It will never be possible!" He gripped his hands tighter at the body below, two knees pushing at the torso's sides.

"…" Near shut his eyes tightly at the sensations on top of his chest and at the side. Panic was starting to set in as black dots were appearing on his vision. A small frown was plastered on his lips as he looked up at the other, knowing that this was only physical and psychological torture, not an actual attempt at homicide. Opening his small mouth slightly, he tried to gasp for air, but felt as if he were a fish out of water. Digging his nails into the hands that were keeping him in place and that were crushing the life out of his body, Near tried his best to inflict physical pain. Full-of-life gray eyes stared at the dark murderous ones that were trying to contain their enjoyment.

_I am not going to let him get away with this. One chance is all I have before I start…_

It was already too late as he felt the vision in front of him blur. Making a fist, he swung it blindly. Once feeling the contact of skin on skin, he clawed at the other, gripping tightly.

"Ow!" Beyond pulled away, lightly cursing under his breath as both hands went up to his left eye. Getting off the body, he frowned slightly at Near.

A small and raspy gasp escaped the child genius as he felt his eyelids too heavy. Keeping his eyes closed, he could barely hear the other walk out the door.

_Mello…Matt…_

Soon, his vision turned completely black.

"Near?"

"Near!"

_I hear them in my dream, but where are they?_

"Idiot, wake the hell up!"

_Mello's sweet voice. Why is he yelling at me like that?_

"Near. Wake up or I'll…I'll…tell Linda to come and kiss you awake!"

_Matt._

"Ow, Mels! That wasn't nice!"

"Shut up."

_That's amusing._

Eyelids slowly blinked awake, the dim light making his eyes adjust rather quickly.

"There you are, you big headed idiot!" Mello yelled, confusion and relief written all over his features.

"I apologize." Came the raspy and dry voice. Near slowly sat up, feeling the memories of earlier events come back. Looking around, he noticed that they were in the same room as before. Lightly bringing his fingertips up to his neck, he felt the slight bruises that had formed under his skin.

"What happened?" Mello asked, shifting slightly in his position on the bed next to Near. Matt was currently sitting up next to both of them, his arms crossed with no game console in his black gloved hands.

"Beyond choked me." He said bluntly, not bothering to stand up, knowing what would happen if he tried.

"What?!" Mello frowned, gripping the other's shoulders. "Do you want us to take you to the hospital? Did you black out or something?"

Even if the situation did not call for it, Matt's lips gave a slight twitch to express a small smile at Mello's worriedness.

"No, I'm fine." Near answered, moving his hand away from his neck. "Moving onto important matters, his self-restraint is becoming less and less."

"Don't you think the fucking evidence that is in front of us is enough for us to make that conclusion?"

"We are getting him angry."

"Your fucking point?"

"He is starting to mess up."

"And?"

"He will either accelerate the plan or he will see us as threats and if that happens, then his moves will be unpredictable."

"…" Mello stayed quiet and listened to what the other was talking about. He gave a small frown, trying to control his emotions that were followed by a sigh. It was evident that Near wasn't shaken by the accident nor would he show any of emotions of it if there were any at all. "Fine, if you want to take this traumatic incident and use it as evidence, then I'm fine with that." His look hardened as well as his voice as he stared at his younger brother.

"Is he still in the home?" Near asked, slowly starting to twirl a lock of white hair.

"No." Mello answered, a small bit of poison dripping with the word.

"We should do a bit of investigation. If we find where he spends most of his time other than here, there may be clues. Perhaps we should go into L's room and also look into his past."

"That's crazy," Mello started, crossing his arms defensively. "You seriously want to look into L's past? Near, that's private."

"It would give us a look into Beyond's traumatic experience from another set of eyes. If we see it from two angles, it shall be clearer what Beyond wants."

"Let's start at the adoption agency Beyond and A were at." Matt spoke up, giving small shrug. "It's here. Beyond's record say he went to this one that's in town, so did A. That can be a good place to start and we'll be able to find more clues, which is a high chance, right?"

"Perhaps." Near answered, giving a small nod.

"Good enough. Then we're going to the agency tomorrow and gather more information." Mello gave a small sigh. "Let's go to sleep."

"Sure." Matt agreed, standing up and locking the door.

Near turned away from both of them, closing his eyes. Fear wasn't on his mind due to the earlier action. He was rather tired and felt a bit happy that the other two were worried about him. Near could hear both of them shuffling to get their current clothes off. A small blush came onto his cheeks, but he ignored it completely. Shifting a bit more onto the pillow, he didn't move when he felt two bodies onto the bed. Soon, two arms wrapped around protectively around his torso, pulling him backwards from the wall and onto a body. Near could smell the faint smell of chocolate as he felt sleep grasping his conscious mind.

When the sun arose, the three took turns taking a shower, ate breakfast together, and took the local city bus to a tall and shiny building that was coated in blue reflective windows.

"Well, how are a couple of teenagers supposed to get inside, hack the system, and get out without anyone noticing?" Matt asked, feeling his adrenalin pumping through his veins.

"We can do it." Mello spoke, a drop of hesitation behind his voice.

"We should think of a plan before making our move." Near walked away, his hand twirling his hair. "We should go into that coffee shop and think about this through. We know the agency is still here, which is a good thing since the website that Matt looked up while coming here was updated only a few years ago."

"…" Mello said nothing, following the other. Looking back at the building, he wondered if there were children inside. Having a small hunch that they weren't, he opened the door of the coffee shop, a small question crossing his mind. "What do you think it was like for adoption for them? They aren't a branch of the Wammy's House, right? The Wammy's House was rough, but I can tell that it was better than this place."

"No, the Wammy House has nothing to do with this adoption agency, Mels. You're right on that, I heard that this place doesn't treat their children with respect and online, there are always stories about how children hate their parents, there is a bunch of abuse, and other things. We're lucky we got L." He pocketed his hands, sitting next to the blond that sat at the built-in booth.

"I don't know if I should be glad or not." Mello admitted, staring at the menu that was in front of him. He flipped it to look at the back, grateful that it wasn't more than two pages long.

"We should be, Mels." Matt spoke up, a small frown on his face. "Think about it."

"I was being rhetorical. I know the fucking psychology with those fucking families that don't do shit." He frowned slightly, leaning back on the cushions. "I hate to say this, but L isn't an angel either."

"…" Near said nothing, staring at Mello's frown. He scanned his eyes slightly over the other's features and face, noticing that he was visibly upset. "May I inquire on why you are upset with L being a father?"

"It's not that I'm upset." Mello turned left to look at Near, putting his menu down. "I'm… Near, it's hard. I won't get into the academic side of it because you're not that much of an idiot. The point is, even though he tries, sometimes it isn't enough. I feel as if L doesn't even try at times."

"…" Near said nothing, listening to his brother's opinion and feelings getting expressed.

"Whatever." Mello gave a small sigh, staring down at the menu. "We need to find a way to get into that building, hack it, get the information, and then leave without being caught or traced back."

"Hmm…" Matt started thinking, gently tapping at the menu that was on his desk.

A waitress with brown hair and brown eyes walked over, her white skin shining in the light. She held up the pad in her left with a dark blue fancy pen in her right. "May I take your order?"

Mello looked up at her and gave a small nod. "I'd like hot chocolate."

"…" she said nothing as she wrote the order down, her brown eyes shifting from Matt to Near for their orders.

"Coffee." Matt spoke, giving Mello the menu so he could collect them. He trailed his eyes away from the waitress, even though she thought she was cute. He knew that the other two would eat him alive if he said the comment aloud or if they read it within those green emerald eyes.

Again, she scribbled down the order.

"May I have hot chocolate and coffee?" Near asked, staring up at the waitress.

"Of course." The waitress replied, writing down to the order. "Is that all?" she asked, staring at the three in front of her.

"Yes, thank you, Ms. Yagami." Near answered, staring up at her name tag.

"Oh, please call me 'Sayu.'" She smiled, walking away from the three after taking the menus from the blond boy.

"Hot chocolate and coffee?" Mello asked, a slight confused face on his expression. "You sure you can drink all of that?"

"…" Near said nothing, trailing his eyes outside, to the building they were going to infiltrate later. "Do I not have the right to order what I want?"

Before Mello had time to ask another question, Matt gave a small and shy smile. "Of course ya do."

"Weirdo." Mello mumbled.

"…" Near said nothing, looking down at the table, trying to think of a strategy. "We do not have the blueprints of that place, correct?"

"Duh, genius." Mello spoke, sitting up and leaning over the seat he was in. "If we can find a computer, then we can hack into it without a problem. I'm sure Matt will be able to do that."

"Yep." He agreed, leaning back on the booth.

"If we go inside, ask a few questions, then it will be alright; however, if there are cameras in the entrance, which there will most likely be, then it shall be difficult to get passed them."

"Nope." Matt answered. "I can permanently erase the footage, Near. I just need a computer and some time."

"I'm sure we'll think of something once we go inside."

Sayu went over to the three, putting the four white mugs down; two in front of Near, one in front of Matt, and one in front of Mello. "Here you are." Sayu smiled lightly. "If you need anything else, please wave me over and I'll assist you."

"Thank you." Near spoke for the three. His gray eyes followed her walk away. "…"

"I doubt you're going to finish that." Mello spoke up, staring at the two mugs. "You barely finish two slices of pizza."

"Hey." Matt warned slightly, a small smile on his face.

"The whole purpose of ordering two drinks was not to finish them." Near spoke, his finger automatically going to twirl a piece of hair. "My intentions are to try what you two like."

Two blushes made themselves known after that statement. "…" Neither of them spoke, feeling their cheeks rather warm.

A small smile slowly graced the pale boy's lips as he took note of their reactions. It was incredible that those set of words could make them speechless and blush. His heart raced slightly at the thought. _That was cute. I wonder what other reactions they would let me see or what I am capable of._

At the thought, he felt the smile slowly grow on his lips. He pushed it away slightly, turning his attention over to the building outside the window.

"I know you want to think this through and so do I, but we came unprepared and this might be our only chance without Beyond following us. We either make the best of it or we don't." Mello spoke, taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

Matt said nothing, mimicking Mello's actions. "Here." He spoke, reaching over Mello to hand Near the extra pair of black gloves he had with him.

Near didn't respond as he took the gloves into his hands and put them on, staring at how the harsh color went against his skin color. He already knew that Mello had his own and wasn't going to question their motives. _Even though they didn't come prepared, they managed to be a step ahead. That is quite impressive._

The bell that sounded above the wooden door made the coffee smell of the shop quickly escape through it. The three boys didn't pay attention to it as they kept sipping their delicious drinks; even though Near was analyzing the texture and taste.

"Good evening," Sayu greeted, the venomous sound in her voice didn't make the three pair of eyes look over.

"Hello!" The smile was prominent in the voice, which made three pairs of shoulders slightly tense up. "That's not a good way to treat a customer, is it, Sayu?"

"I would like it if you called me 'Ms. Yagami.'"

Beyond gave a small shrug, the smile never disappearing from his features. He sat down at the bar stool that was in the middle of the coffee shop, the smile never disappearing from his features. It seemed a bit creepier now.

Near didn't reach for his neck as he remembered last night. Instead, he gripped Mello's shoulder tightly, holding the blond back from doing anything idiotic and reckless. Matt did the same by holding the other shoulder, his eyes scanning Beyond's features.

"May I take your order?" Sayu asked, a small frown upon her features.

"You may, but I want to know why you're angry first."

"Beyond, I thought you were leaving for good. I also thought that you weren't going to ever come back to where I work or studied at for the rest of my life. Your family owes me that much already."

"You now it wasn't _my_fault. It was L's and last time I checked, he wasn't my biological family or my whole family at all."

Sayu gave a small frown, placing her palms outward on the counter, leaning over slightly. She had pure anger written on her face. "Beyond, my family's name is already tainted. I don't know what you want or why you're here. L solved the case or whatnot. Aren't you happy? The real criminal might be out there, but he blamed my brother for it. Now, please, leave this shop. You've caused our family a lot of grief and harm."

"_I_ didn't do anything. It was all L himself."

"Beyond…if you aren't going to order anything, then please leave."

"It wasn't me, Sayu." His voice seemed to have lost its smile, the tone filling with compassion.

"Do you really believe I believe that, Beyond? _You_ were the one that disappeared during our university years and the one that never came back until days passed, _you_ were the one that was always at parties where people were always drugged, _you_ were the chemistry and psychology major at the school that had the creepy factor surrounding him, _you_ were around the bodies that were found. It wasn't my brother, Light, that was at the crime scenes. Light isn't capable of doing that. _You_are the only capable one, Beyond."

"I wasn't the one who murdered a lot of people and made it look like suicides, Sayu." He frowned slightly, leaning over the bar a bit, staring directly into brown passionate-filled eyes. "Don't you think it hurt L the worst when he had to put Light in handcuffs and actually interrogate him to get a confession out?"

Sayu gave a small frown. "Beyond, get out."

The male gave a small smile. "Your brother is selfish, Sayu. Do you want to know why? Do you? Light must have known that L was going to work the case and befriended him. He knew the probability of being caught were and how when he added friendship to the equation that he most likely wouldn't be caught. You know friendship is a powerful thing."

"Stop." Sayu warned while her frown grew.

"No, you don't understand at all, do you? L was in love with Light. He was his friend and you know what your precious brother did? He gained his heart, his trust, his first friendship, and his first heartache. That's cruel, you know?" Beyond smiled, gripping the counter a bit. "He took a lot of things from L and you want me to sit here as if nothing happened?"

"I don't know what you want, but there's the door." She pointed, a small glare coming onto her features, almost hiding the tears that wanted to pour out.

"He was going to kill L." Beyond smiled a bit wider, making the smile look creepy and deformed.

"Stop!" Sayu frowned, staring at him as her eyes got glossier.

"He was going to do it!"

"Stop it!"

"He was! You know he was!" The man raised his voice, the dark eyes looking happy.

"Enough!" Sayu shut her own eyes, wanting the words to go away. She covered her ears, tears slowly stroking down her cheeks.

A laugh escaped Beyond's lips, which made the three that were witnessing the show shiver. "Hahaha! You know I'm correct! You know it!"

"Get out!" Sayu shrieked while the people from the coffee shop stared in slight horror, disgust, and worry. They were frozen in their spots, noticing the threat was the madman.

"I couldn't let that happen!" He screamed over her voice, the smile never disappearing. "I wouldn't let that happen!" His voice slowly quieted down, the smile growing a bit bigger at Sayu crying. "That wouldn't be fair. It would ruin my game and that isn't right, now is it, Sayu?"

"Get out!" She screamed, her hands shaking as she tried to block out the other's words. "Get out you freak! Get out of my shop! I never want to see you or L again!"

"Of course, my lady." The man spoke in a normal tone, standing up from the wooden stool. "I apologize for not ordering anything." He said nonchalantly. Turning on his heel, he turned away, a small smile on his features as his thumb came up to his mouth as teeth started to lightly nibble at the skin.

Sayu quickly collapsed on her knees, tears streaming out of her face as a nearby waitress came over to her to comfort her.

"…" Matt wasn't sure what to say at the display that was right in front of him, his eyes slightly wide with shock.

"…Did he?" Mello asked, a small frown on his face, the shock gone from his features.

"If you are implying that Beyond came inside when we were, created a scene for us, then left while giving us another puzzle to solve, then yes, the percentage is high."

"That's fucked up." Matt frowned slightly, looking as Sayu got help from other waitresses and even customers that had bothered looks.

"That's how his fucking mind works, Matt." Mello spoke, grabbing the euros out of his pocket and setting them down on the table. "Let's get out of here. If the percentage is high, he knows what we were after and it's a good idea to leave before the news crew arrives or worse – the fucking police."

"Agreed." Matt spoke, scooting over to get out of the booth, Mello following behind him.

Once out of the coffee shop, the three stood a couple blocks away as police cars and even an ambulance stood outside.

"Well…" Mello gave a small sigh, crossing his arms. "What did that mean?"

"Beyond didn't want us to look at his fucking adoption record?" Matt shrugged.

"He didn't look at us."

"Your point, Mels?"

"He wants us to see his side." Near spoke, twirling a lock of curly white hair.

"Why the hell would he want that?"

"Perhaps Beyond wants us to side with him because of all of this."

"That's fucking stupid."

"If we were to become his pawns, it wouldn't be."

"…"

"Guys." Matt spoke up, looking at one to the other. "You know what he just confessed to us?"

"What, Matt? That he's a damn sociopath _and_ a psychopath?"

"Well, yes, but you're analyzing this too much."

"I beg your pardon?" Near asked, a slight confused look on his face.

"**_L_** _was_ in **_love_**."


	6. Hyperbole

There was an uncomfortable silence as a pair of plain bland gray sneakers followed two other pairs. Two shoes were completely black while the other two were a combination of red and black.

"I do not feel comfortable with this." Near spoke up, a small frown on his face as he looked around at his surroundings.

"We're not breaking the law." Mello spoke, hands in the navy blue pockets of his uniform.

"Yet." Matt added, mindlessly playing with his game console.

"I do not feel comfortable with knowing that I will be an accessory of breaking the law in the near future." He re-worded his sentence, staring from blond locks to red ones, then back to blond again.

A tanned hand searched in the complete darkness of the pocket, pulling out a chocolate bar. Unwrapping it, Mello brought it to his mouth to bite a piece off. "Mm." He responded, not caring that it was not even a word.

"…" Near stayed quiet, knowing that there was no other use in complaining anymore.

_I have never been absent during the school year for whatever reason. If I have been sick or not, I make myself go for knowledge; now I am_**_purposely_**_not going to school because of these two criminals._

"Whatever you're thinking, we didn't drag you." Mello broke off another piece of the delicious light brown treat.

"Would you like me to blame L for his rule?" He frowned at the other, a small glare behind his eyes.

"Whatever floats your boat." Mello shrugged the other off, stopping outside of the building. His crystal blue eyes looked up at the buildings that surrounded the place, knowing that they were at their destination. "Well, welcome to L's and Beyond's university."

"Mm." Matt answered, continuing to push down at the buttons.

The blond rolled his eyes at the redhead's enthusiasm, but then started walking again after the white-haired boy didn't reply to him. Shoes gently tapped at the surface of the concrete as he walked with confidence, the chocolate bar being eaten along the way. "We're almost there."

"Where?" Near asked with a slight confused tone. _We didn't discuss of going anywhere specific other than this university. Perhaps they both planned something without my knowledge while I was showering this morning?_

"Come out of hiding." Mello ordered, his demeanor changing almost immediately. He straightened his back slightly, his voice changing to become a bit deeper.

"Do you have the goods?" A voice of a man asked. He stepped out from the hiding spot that was behind the shaded tree.

Near's eyes scanned over the other's figure quickly. No hair, facial hair, tall, build, and…

_Leader of the mafia, Rod Ross. L has had encounters with this guy._

"Here." The tan fingers that were crossed in an 'x' held out a piece of paper that was folded.

The buff man grabbed the neatly folded piece of paper, holding out a black bag. "Here it is. I don't want to have your father on my trail, so this better not be a trick."

"It's not." A frown came onto Mello's face, his eyes showing as if they were annoyed. "The fuck do you think I am? An idiot? Now get out of here before you bring more attention to yourself."

Rod's jaw tightened slightly as he turned around, leaving the scene.

"Let's go." Mello commanded, walking away casually. Eyes shifted back and forth to see if anybody was watching them, but when the coast was clear, he entered the men's bathroom.

"Is anyone in here? I had a bean burrito earlier!" Matt shouted with a bored tone, knowing that his blond friend was going to use violence on whoever was in here.

"…Really, Matt?" Mello asked, his lips twitching into a small smile.

"It was those pancakes?" Matt shrugged, the game system clouding his vision by being a primary object.

"…" Near said nothing, looking at Mello move behind them to turn the lock to the right with his thumb and pointer fingers.

"Alright, time to get to work, then." The blond ordered, looking at Matt to put away his game console.

Pausing it and saving the game, he pocketed the device, green eyes that were hidden behind goggles moving up to the blonde's. "Is everything in the bag? IDs and the uniforms?"

"They better be." Mello hissed, glad to see the three separate uniforms in the bags. Putting them on the sink, he started to undress, not caring that he was exposing himself.

"May I know what the plan is?" Near finally asked, reaching upward to twirl a strand of hair.

"…" Matt didn't answer, starting to take off the uniform he had on before.

"Just follow us for once." Mello frowned. "Now start stripping."

"…" He hesitated for once, thinking about his options. Deciding that it would be best to follow the older brother's advice, he started to take off his clothes.

Pink cheeks on all three made themselves known as pairs of eyes stole glances at the other two when they weren't looking.

_I am being perverse and perverted right now. I should stop stealing glances at them, they're not mine and I am not theirs._

Before going into deeper thought, he felt his arms wanting to twitch to hide his own body. He remembered the intimate moments he had with Matt in the bathroom at the school, at home, being walked in on, and Mello's movements when the blond had also walked in on him. This made the blush grow on his cheeks a bit hotter as he held his body back from wanting to stiff uncomfortably at the memories. Instead of going deeper into his thoughts, Near concentrated on his unemotional face to keep it from giving any hints of what he was truly thinking a few moments before.

"Here." Mello answered, his voice having a slightly different tone – embarrassment laced in between.

Matt said nothing as he reached over, grabbing the clothes from the other. Pushing his arms inside of the sleeves of the white and black stripped shirt, he popped his head over. Next, he grabbed the pure raven black pants and slipped one leg inside after the other, fixing them at the front. Grabbing the also black blazer, he slipped it on, but his green eyes slightly widened at what Mello's hand held out in front of him. "Mels…"

"It's for your own good." Mello warned slightly, indirectly commanding the gamer to do what he said.

A sigh escaped his lips as he took off the signature orange goggles off his head and grabbed the thick black glasses. Slipping them on, he blinked a few times to re-adjust to the light, but the small frown made itself visible before he could even register that he felt uncomfortable.

"You look hot." The blond commented, a smirk on his features.

"My goggles make me look hotter." He adjusted the glasses a bit, blinking at the way the imagery was different.

Near's gray eyes couldn't move away from the emerald irises that were in front of him. He took note that the uniform was an added touch, but the eyes seemed to shine on their own. _I should stop staring at his eyes. I have seen them on rare occasion and that should be fine and enough for me, but why do I keep staring at them?_

Matt turned and smiled lightly at the other, making the small adoptive brother's blush stay on his cheeks.

_I…_

"Big-headed idiot, stop drooling and get dressed." Mello snapped him out of his thoughts.

Matt gave a small chuckle.

"…" Instead of apologizing, knowing that it was a confession to that was what he was going to do, Near grabbed the uniform out of Mello's hands. Slipping on a pair of black pants, a white button up shirt, and a matching black blazer, he stayed quiet.

"Good." Mello commented, a small smile on his face. While he slipped on his clothing that was a collared black button up shirt, lose red tie around his neck, and matching black pants and a black blazer. "Now, we need to do something if we do get caught. Before we go out, let's practice on being other people."

"That's so much work…" Matt complained, making a small face.

"Focus." Mello warned, a small frown replacing the small smile that was there a second ago. "We need new personas."

"Fine." Matt started, a small smile appearing on his features. "What should we be?"

"…" Mello thought about it, then gave a small shrug. "Why not our opposites? You look like a nerd with those glasses, so be a nerd. Near can be…" A small smirk came onto his features. "Near, you can be a flirtatious son of a bitch. I'll be the rebel, there."

"Fine by me." Matt gave a small shrug, knowing that he could probably pass off as the shy nerd. "Wait, does he even know how to flirt?"

"I am standing right here." Near warned, a small frown on his face.

"Flirt with me." Mello commanded, ignoring the statement.

"…" Near turned his attention away from the captivating green eyes and looked directly at serious blue ones. Instead of asking what flirting was, he reflected to what he had learned over the years of observing through books, movies, body language in front of him, and even Linda's personal experiences.

Bringing up a pale hand to his shirt, he let his eyes soften a bit into a lustful gaze as he unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt. "Mello," he spoke with a small seductiveness behind his voice. "Do you like what you see?" Letting his hand fall, he waited patiently for their reactions.

"…" Matt's jaw slightly dropped at the other's words and actions, his eyes widening slightly.

"…" Mello's eyes also widened, but he gave a small smirk, quickly regaining his composure. Reaching over, he grabbed Near's chin and wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him rather close. "I don't know baby, maybe you should show me a bit more to see what I'm dealing with."

"Certainly." Near spoke, his monotone voice dropping an octave, making it sound more seductive.

Smirking, the blond pulled the other closer, leaning in for a kiss on the lips.

"Hey, that's not fair." Matt interrupted. "I'm the lone nerd that's single?"

"Seems that way to me." Mello pulled away, smiling a bit, then shrugging.

"That's… I don't mind, I guess. You two were _hot_ just now."

"…"

"Ow, Mels! There was no need for punching me!"

"Stop being a pervert."

"I will when you do."

"…"

Near felt a small blush onto his cheeks. Even though his face wasn't showing it, he felt slightly embarrassed from Matt's words. The beating heart in his chest was quickly beating away, the adrenalin coursing through him.

_Those lines… I do not know where they emerged from. Why is my heart racing fast? I… I wanted Mello to kiss me. I wanted to feel his soft lips on mine and… I liked flirting with him. I wanted to keep going, but Matt interrupted. Why do I feel slightly upset at that? I should be glad instead of upset._

"Let's go." Mello ordered, grabbing the rest of the extra clothes and pushing them into his empty backpack. He tied his own shoes after slipping them on, looking at the IDs that Rod had made for him while Matt and Near were getting their own shoes on. "We're university teenagers. The stupid IDs don't say what year we are, but let's agree that we're second years, yeah?"

"Sure, Mels." Matt stood up, a small smile on his face.

"Here." He handed over one of the IDs.

Green eyes widened behind clear glass. "Whoa, Mels! This picture…"

"Shut up and deal with it."

"You're a genius, you know that?" Matt smiled, grabbing his younger brother's cheeks in his palms and landing his lips against Mello's.

Instead of fighting back or pushing the other away, the kiss was welcomed with eager passion, tan arms slowly wrapping themselves around their captor. Pushing his lips back against the redhead, he gripped at the red strands, a smile appearing when the other moaned. Deepening the kiss, two tongues moved in sync, both bodies heating up.

"…" Near felt a red blush come onto his features as he looked up at the other two. He slowly stood up and looked away, a pale hand coming to twirl the strand of white hair. _I must admit it. It is erotic to see those two, but we should get going._ "Mello, Matt." He spoke, the monotone voice back.

"Mm." The blond genius pulled away, small panting noises escaping the lips. "Alright, here." He handed over the identification card.

"…" Near took it, not bothering to look at the picture. Instead, he pocketed it, placing full trust on the other two.

"Let's go."

Grabbing the two abandoned backpacks on the floor, the three walked out of the bathroom. The white-haired teenager, along with the red haired one, followed the blond.

"…" Near stayed quiet, looking around at the university. He wasn't surprised when everybody walked by, not caring that they were in the grounds. _This must be a big university for nobody to notice three young teenagers to be here. Then again, we may seem as if we are the same age. Matt's height would add onto the factor, Mello's attitude would also be a great help, but me? Oh, right. I'm invisible and nobody notices. I see, how interesting, or perhaps these people do not care or are too busy to notice._

"Where do we strike first, Mels?"

"We're going to look at school records and you're our key, Matt. This school has Wi-Fi and you should be able to hack into their main documents, right?"

"Yep."

"We'll go visit the resident halls after."

"How fun."

"…" Near said nothing, looking away. He felt bored without a puzzle, but as a huge building came into view, eyes looked up at the it because it was casting its own shadow. He felt his hand drop to his side as he looked at the gigantic building.

Only from observing, Near took note that it was probably half the size of a football field. He stared up at the windows, noticing that it was five stories high. The beating muscle in his chest started to beat faster and faster, his lips slowly coming onto a smile as his gray eyes sparkled. Walking inside, he was greeted with a sight to see.

In front of them were three steps that defended down to a small opening while rows of computers were positioned neatly. To the right, there was an electric escalator and an elevator passed them. Mello didn't hesitate to go over and to push the button, quietly waiting with a group of people that was slowly gathering.

Once the elevator doors opened, the three walked inside, quickly being hunched into the corner slightly by other people. Near could see that Matt frowned slightly while Mello pushed the button that was labelled '5.' The blond moved back slightly, then a small smirk appeared on his lips. Turning around, he ignored all the other people in the elevator as the doors sealed shut.

"So, do you want to have fun today?"

Dull gray eyes slowly turned alive as the younger one met the older one's gaze. _You want to play your stupid game in this elevator? Very well, then._

"I do not think you can handle me that easily." Near flirted smoothly, his voice and eyes projecting the tone of his words – coquettish.

"No, baby, I don't think you can handle _me_." Mello replied, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"…" Near stayed quiet, silently thinking of a comeback while the elevator opened to reveal the second floor. A few people walked out, but none of the three noticed or cared the look on their faces which showed uncomfortableness.

_I know I should not push this too far. The consequences of not choosing words may be troublesome, but not replying fast enough may be a sign of weakness. I wonder… how uncomfortable would these people be if I hinted something that would embarrass Mello? Being a flirt does not go with going with cockiness or being confident, correct? This is harder than I believed it to be._

While the elevator moved, he kept trying to think of a reply. For a few more antagonizing silent moments, there were no words exchanged, but after, there was a reply.

"Who is the one that gave you the hickey the other time?" _There. It is not too sexual, but it is not too… innocent, per say._

Cerulean eyes slightly widened at the thought as there was no immediate comeback. In his peripheral vision, the white-haired boy could see that Matt shifted slightly in his spot. _Is he trying to hold back laughter?_ _Or is he acting uncomfortable?_

Third floor.

"The last person who gave me a hickey was nobody, last time I checked. What you did was _try_ to give me one, but in the end, who was the one on his back, moaning and begging for more?" The blond smirked slightly, taking the topic to the realm of the taboos.

Matt shifted a bit more, his thumb rubbing his other hand's thumb, almost if he were truly uncomfortable. His green eyes shifted, seeing a girl who had slightly wide eyes, looking at the bottom left of her vision, away from the three of them, the corner of her lips pulled back, near her jaw bone.

"Who is the one that kept complaining that we were moving too slow in the process?"

Fourth floor.

Matt watched as the girl quickly left the elevator, the doors closing behind her.

"You want to test that again?"

There were no people left to make uncomfortable or witness the sinful words the two were exchanging.

"I would." Near dared Mello, a small smile on his face.

Mello opened his mouth to reply back, but before he could answer, there was a snicker, followed by slight outburst of laughter next to them.

Turning their gazes, they noticed that Matt had a slightly pale hand covering his mouth, a small smile on his features. "Guys, I'm sorry to cut the flirting short, but you two do _know_ that there's_nobody_ in the elevator, right? Unless… if it was serious, then that's understandable, but I have to say, that was a hot show to see. I mean, I thought I was a flirt, Mels, but you? Whoo, you push it onto another level that's unexplainable!"

The two younger adoptive brothers looked around, turning their heads to the left, noticing that their older brother was right. They didn't find a living body in sight and they felt the other's words sink in. Two blushes made their way onto the faces of theirs as they tried to regain their composure quickly; however, luckily for them, the elevator door opened. Mello scurried to get out, followed by Near, and a smiling Matt following.

Leading the way, the blond looked around for any place that would be a good place to conduct the actual hacking. Instead of finding computers, he had found that there was no computer in sight, which made him frown slightly. Walking further along, he didn't notice a room that had a desktop computer that seemed relatively new, but it was obvious that the model type was not. Taking a step forward, his footsteps were immediately stopped by a hand that was at his sleeve. It was a slight tug, enough to make him stop his movements, but it wasn't as harsh as to pull him back, or too shy to actually be unnoticeable.

"In there." Near pointed with his other hand, his voice monotone and slightly soft.

Without hesitating, the blond stared at the handle, knowing that the slightest evidence would get them captured. "Matt, how long would it take?"

"Is there a printer in there?"

"Yeah, there's one in there." He dug into his backpack, taking out a pair of black gloves. He handed them over, a small smile on his face. "Are you motivated enough to not get caught?"

"…" Matt thought about it, smiling gently, giving a small shrug. Taking the gloves, he felt his face forward, his eyes slightly widening at the warm lips that were pressed against him in a hard kiss. Green eyes blinked slightly, but his lips were smiling a bit, knowing what the other was trying to do. Pressing his lips back slightly before pulling back, he slipped the glove on his right hand while his body slightly shivering at the temperature inside of it. "Give me at least fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes? Fucking hell." Mello frowned, then sighed a bit.

"Maybe I can do it faster for a little more."

The frown deepened at the sentence. "Really? How about a damn knuckle sandwich, then? You'll need all the nutrition then, won't you?"

"…" Matt stayed quiet, letting the other know that the point was taken. Slipping on the other glove, he flexed them slightly, noticing that they were Mello's. They came up to his palm, the middle of it, which made him smile a bit. He knew that Mello's gloves didn't even cover most of his hand and came up to the pads of his palm, which made his heart flutter.

"Would antibodies assist you with moving faster?"

"What?" Matt asked, a slight confused look on his face.

Near reached his pale hand over, gripping the red strands of hair behind his head. Pulling him forward, he silently pressed his lips against the other's already-wet lips. Before the other could react, he slightly turned his head to the right, his lips parting slightly while a tongue gently probed onto Matt's bottom lip as an invitation.

Black gloves didn't hesitate to rake through the white hair, pulling the other closer. Matt opened his mouth, also turning his head to the right, his lips fitting the other's mouth perfectly – like puzzle pieces. Rubbing their tongues slightly, he felt his hands travel down the other's body. It had already been weeks without sexual stimuli with all the drama that had been going on, and he wanted a more of it.

Cutting the kiss short, Near pulled away, slightly shivering where the gloved hands were. _That felt nice. It felt better than nice, to be honest. I wonder if it is because we are in public, which stimulates more arousal? Or is it because I just kissed a soon-to-be criminal? He probably is already a criminal, like Mello is._

"Give me a bit. I'll hack that thing. Also, yep, I think the antibodies will help." Matt smiled, pushing up the glasses with his knuckle from below one of the lenses. Walking inside the room, he sat down at the computer, black fingers going through the university's core.

"It's a fucking clear window." Mello leaned back on the glass, trying to cover the other that was already at the computer. "Do you know anything about 'computer science' that may be helpful?"

"No, I do not. I only know that there is no alarm or if there is, then it is a silent alarm." Near looked up at the ceiling, his hand coming up to twirl a piece of hair. He gave a small shrug, not knowing anything in the field that would be beneficial. _I am sure that even Mello knows that and that is the only thing I know about hacking other than it involving IP addresses somehow._

"Near…" Mello's voice was slightly different now – a bit gentler. "Why don't you kiss me as much as you do with Matt?"

After registering the question, his gray eyes trailed to the other's sky blue eyes. He wondered if Mello was jealous, but he wasn't showing any symptoms that he could tell. "Would you like one as well?"

"…" His older brother's lips almost turned into a scowl at the question and he shook his head slightly.

_He will not admit it. It was an obvious mistake to ask._

Two arms slowly snaked around the tan neck, bringing the body slightly closer. Keeping up the act that he was before, he gave a small foreign smile. "I am sorry that I have been neglecting you."

"Tch'." The frown slightly lightened up into a smile before Mello moved his head down to capture almost-pale lips.

_I have been neglecting him, but why does it feel as if I am unintentionally doing it? Wait, why should I feed into their false hope? I should stop this, but every time I interact with them, every kiss, every touch, it almost feels as if it's toxic – they are both poisonous._

Arms snaked around a thin waist, while a pair of lips finally captured the other pair. Lids from both pair of eyes closed at the gentleness. Near slowly lifted his hands, wrapping his arms around his brother's neck sensually. Turning his head to the right, he shyly opened his mouth, shivering a bit when the other entered his mouth. Moving against Mello's foreign, soft, sweet, and gentle tongue, he rubbed back lightly, enjoying the softness and slowness of the kiss. Thin fingers gripped at the blond locks that were soft, lightly tugging them from the roots. Near felt a shiver run down his spine at the vibration's from the moan that Mello gave out.

Soon, the kiss turned a bit deeper and more passionate from the blond genius, which Near took quick notice of. Rubbing back with the same force, gray eyes shut a bit tightly, the euphoric and heat-like feelings running through his body. Near felt his back press against the cold edge of the window, his back arching a bit uncomfortably on it, but felt the discomfort go away when he felt a body press up against him. A dark red blush came onto his features as he could feel a certain _part_ of Mello's body, the kisses turning hungrier and more passionate.

_His body feels so good… my mind, I cannot think properly._

A small moan escaped his lips as he felt Mello's shaft rub slightly against his thigh. Pulling back slightly, his lips gasped. Air rushed quickly into his lungs as he panted for more, feeling wet lips press against his neck hungrily. Moving his head to the side, Near let Mello's lips kiss more and more – the heat starting to become unbearable. His thought process was slowly starting to fail him as he forgot that they were in the library, and it didn't help that his instincts were starting to take over.

_If I just… give him another sign to continue, perhaps…_

"Are you two having fun there?" A voice interrupted, a small smile behind it. "I didn't think I would take that fast with what the security they have, but wow, that was a good show from both of you. I want to get out of here though, before we get caught."

Mello gave a small frown, panting slightly from the heat. "Fuck you."

"I'd like that, Mels, it's been a while." The gamer confessed, shrugging slightly.

"…" He remained quiet, then turned his attention away, towards where they came from. "Let's go."

Giving a small nod, Matt followed the other like a puppy, Near trailing behind them. Getting to the elevator, they were greeted with a man in a suit, which made them completely freeze.

"Gentlemen." A man spoke, with gray-white hair, glasses framing his eyes. He stepped aside, walking past them.

"Good afternoon." Near spoke for the three, the first one to snap out of his shock.

Walking into the elevator, the blond shook his head. Looking over at Matt, he then pressed the button that had '1' on it.

"Do not let the paranoia get to you." Near spoke confidently.

"What?" Matt finally found his voice, staring at the smaller one.

"You do not have your gloves on. You were with us and we were in front of the elevator before he saw what direction we were coming. You deleted the camera footage of us, yes?"

"Just from us entering the room, yeah, I made it seem as if the cameras malfunctioned and they still are, but I think I know what gave me away…"

"What's that?" Mello frowned, looking as the red digital number read '3.'

"I printed out their documents…" Matt confessed, crossing his arms defensively in front of his chest. "I deleted all the evidence, Mels. I may be lazy, but when I'm motivated, I do things right."

"That may be incorrect." Near interrupted, looking at the number change again. "If you multitask, I have noticed, then you do not do the job properly."

"Hey…" Matt frowned slightly. "When I try, I get things done, do you know a better hacker at your disposal? Come on, Near, you were barely insulting me and now you're going back to that?"

"No, I am not, but I am expressing my opinion."

"Enough." Mello frowned slightly, looking at the doors, waiting for them to open. "Let's just go to the next destination before we make a stupid scene by fighting."

"Fine by me." Matt spoke, a small hint of irritation in his voice.

"…" Near followed the two out of the elevator, the metal doors closing behind him. _I did not mean to upset him. I should make a note to apologize later, when I can. I know what he is thinking. Matt is thinking that I think that I do not think he is intelligent enough, which is incorrect. Perhaps this is what Mello meant by giving him a lot of attention? I should also give Mello attention, but… No, should I not crush their hopes? Why is this confusing? Feelings are illogical, which I am aware of, but I should make this into a simple question: Do I want to be in a romantic relationship with them? The logical answer is unknown or it would be 'maybe,' but when I truly think with my feelings instead of my brain, without thinking of the pros and cons, it says 'yes.' I do want to be with them. I do want to make them feel better. I do want to give them my heart as they do. I do not understand most of these emotions, but the basic ones I do know, but are they willing to show me? Would I be willing to open up to let them inside? Mello, without a doubt, but Matt? I… am not positive of my decision with him. He may be intelligent, he does have my respect, but I do not see how I will manage with his lazy personality. It gets to me every time–_

His thoughts were cut off when Mello spoke. "Big-headed idiot, we're here."

Gray eyes looked up at another building and saw that there were a lot of windows. "The halls of residence?"

"Yep." Mello answered. "Matt, the cameras are still off, right?"

"Yep. For a few more minutes, they should come back on in…" He took out his phone, clicking the side buttons with his index finger. "Ten minutes if nobody does anything about it."

"Then let's pretend that old geezer knows what he's doing, that gives us how much time?" Mello swiped the card with the magnetic strip facing outward, then pressed the numbers '2' and '8' after it, receiving a _bing!_

"If he's as good as me or better, that gives us… five minutes, Mels." Matt nodded, walking to the door and opening it. He motioned them inside, a small smile on his face. "After you, ladies."

"Fuck you." Mello answered, walking inside and opening the second door that lead into the hallways.

"With pleasure and whenever you want, Mels." He followed.

Near stayed quiet, wondering if their libidos were high. _It has been probably a week since they have had sexual intercourse. It would make sense, but… would I be able to satisfy both of them? I do not believe so… I am not as active. That day at school, though… I do not know what came over me. Perhaps my urges are manifesting themselves due to these two._

A small blush appeared on his cheeks as he stared at them, following them. Walking down the hall and to the left, he kept following Matt and Mello's trail. _Is that the answer to my question? Are these two the reason why my body keeps reacting weirdly?_

"Here." Mello spoke, stopping outside of a room.

"Hm?" Matt stared at the number of the room, looking at it weird. "Mels, are you sure this is it? Wouldn't it be much cooler, like, I don't know, 1313? I mean, why is it 404?"

"How strange… I thought there would also be tape over it or something that said '1313,' but I guess we're wrong." Mello commented, a small frown on his face.

"The numbers will tell us why, but for now, let us go inside." Near commanded, his hand coming up to mindlessly twirl a piece of hair.

Inserting the card, he pulled it up and stared at the green light, a small smile on his face. Turning the handle and walked inside.

"Mels, what are we going to find in a room that's been occupied by–" He stopped talking, staring at the neatness of the room. Everything was new and naked, the essentials missing – almost as if nobody had been in the room for years. "Never mind." He corrected himself, eyes slightly widened with shock. "What the…" He tried to suppress his shock, but couldn't. "…hell?"

Mello ignored his shock and walked into the room, holding his hand to him. "My gloves."

Matt quickly dug his hand into his pocket, handing them over. "Here."

Taking them, he started to put them on and stared at the room, a small frown on his face. "Look around for something."

"Sure, but what the hell are we supposed to find in a bland room?"

"Many things." Near answered from experience, walking inside. He knew that his fingerprints get on some places. Knowing that, he pulled the long sleeves of his blazer and started to touch and move things around, looking for any clues.

"…" Matt didn't ask the next question that was on his mind and started to look around the room. He clicked on his phone, then started going through it. "I'll set a timer for us, that way, we'll know when to get the fuck out of this room." He finished going through the programs, setting the solid time. "Just to be sure… It'll be a few minutes early, got it?"

"Got it and listen closely for footsteps. Any coming this way or stopping outside the door, we hide, and then get the hell out."

"That does not sound like a solid plan." Near stated, continuing to look around the room.

"Shut up and do as I say." The command came, which made the white-haired boy go quiet.

Near could hear the other two shuffling around, but he didn't pay much attention. He was in his own mind, thinking of what Beyond would hide in this room. _The numbers of the room give us a clue. Beyond seems to always leave clues, whether intentionally or unintentionally is not the puzzle right now. We have limited time to go through this room and to find a clue, but what if it is right in front of us and we cannot see it? This was his home at one point and for whatever reason, the university does not want anyone else to have this room. Something happened, but what? Does Beyond know that this room is untouched? He must, he knows everything. Then again, has he left a clue here, before or after the fact? Where would he hide it?_

Gray eyes slightly trailed over the room, noticing that Mello was looking in a closet while Matt was looking inside the empty drawers, listening for anything abnormal. A small frown came onto his lips. _No, those places would be too easy. Where is a creepy and bizarre place to hide something secret? It would have to be an obvious place to make us think, but a place that is not too obvious. He is a mocker and mockers leave it in the obvious places where it is hidden. Would it be under the bed?_

Kneeling down on his knees, he stared under the bed since it was rather high. A small sigh escaped his lips as he went under the mattress, lying down on the floor below it.

"What the hell are you doing?" Mello's voice reached his ears.

"I am looking." Near replied with a bored expression, staring up at the mattress for any spots that may contain something or have anything hidden. Shifting his eyes slightly, he noticed that there was a black notebook between the bars of the bedframe. Reaching up with a pale hand, he gently touched it, then quickly regretted laying his fingers on it, the fingerprints probably on it now. _I was too caught up in the moment. I should stop acting impulse, but if Beyond wants us to see this, then does he mean he wants us to take it? Or is it unintentional? There are too many questions that the man wants us to answer and some of them Mello and I are analyzing too much. Perhaps Matt is right._

There was a bit of shuffling from the left side of the bed, then the question arose in the air. "Did you find anything down there?"

"…" Near kept staring at the notebook, knowing that the other had figured out what he was currently thinking since he wasn't moving. "Yes, there is. It is a black notebook. Would you like me to retrieve it even though my fingerprints may get on it?"

"Yeah. I also think I found something."

Near raised an eye in confusion, showing his emotions since he wasn't in view of the other two. Slipping the notebook from its confinements, he slipped it out from the bars and took the item out. Staring at the cover and not seeing anything, he wiggled out of the bed, slowly standing up while holding it. "What has Mello–" He froze at midsentence as he looked at the item in his older brother's hand.

There was a pointy and shiny nail in his grip. It seemed rather sharp by the way the tip looked. It seemed to have a white powder-like covering it. Question after question started to run out of his head. _Why did Beyond leave us a nail? Where has he used it before? Are his views of reality that far off or is it another item that he knew we would find? Does he want any of our fingerprints on it? Does he want us to analyze it? This is not adding up… we are missing more puzzle pieces from him, but what? That is the true question._

"Mels, maybe you should put that back." Matt started, his eyes shifting from the power up to cerulean eyes.

"It was next to a rosary." Mello looked up, a different look on his face. "I think he wants me to have it, Matt. I know that man isn't religious in any way. He doesn't seem to be the Catholic or Christian type, plus if he does believe he has shinigami eyes, wouldn't it be a type of Japanese religion?"

"Mels, that's not a toy. What if it's poison?" Matt warned slightly, completely serious for once.

"I know it's not." Mello kept staring at the nail in his hand. "You should trust your brother a little more." He smiled slightly, then hung the clear bead and red bead over his neck. The cross was shining as it was the main object in sight, but there were no jewels or anything on it, just a simple design: a flower in the middle, the edges of the cross having a certain unique and alluring design. "It's his message for me and I'm sure that notebook is either a message for one of us or all of us. Do you think there's something else that he's hiding in here? We found two items, but is there three?"

"I doubt it." Near spoke, slowly bringing a hand up to idly twirl a lock of white hair. "Unless…" His gray orbs slowly trailed to Matt's red hair. "He likes the color red, he always sees it, and he likes Matt's hair a lot. What type of object would contain those characteristics and criteria?"

"Strawberry jam." Mello shrugged, looking over at Matt's hair, not putting the nail down or away.

"It would be an obvious place that one needs to look for, but not to look too critically."

"The drawers." Mello answered Near's statement, looking at the only one that was the wooden dresser that was next to the undressed bed.

Matt slowly walked over, staring at the contents that he looked through earlier. He looked over to Mello, a small smile on his lips. "Maybe you should do it, I don't have gloves on and I rather not get caught."

Instead of remarking, the blond went over and opened the three wooden drawers. Staring at it with a small frown, he moved his hand under, his gloves gently smoothing over the surface from the underneath of the first drawer. Cerulean eyes slightly widened at the touch, gently tugging at the material there. Grabbing the small box, the piece of tape making a sound as it was being pulled at; he stared at the palm of his hand at the item.

"Matches." Near spoke, staring at the contents. "Why not a lighter?"

"Well, it–" The blond was interrupted with a small buzzing noise coming from the gamer's pocket.

"Time's up. We should go." Matt spoke up, taking out his mobile device and turning it off. "We have two minutes to get out of sight with the cameras, then we're on our own. We got what we wanted, Mels, right?"

"I'm sure this is what he wanted us… no, I'm sure this is what he wanted _L_ to find."

"Then let's not stick around here for anybody to find us." He commented, walking to the door and opening it. Stepping outside, he walked down the hallway, but froze when he saw a familiar face. "Fuck." He muttered under his breath, looking at the old man that was walking down the hall. "We should think of something." He turned to the other side, noticing that there was no hall to go through, but a window. They were trapped and the only good sign was that the old man had not noticed them yet.

Near looked over at his older brother, noticing that he had put the items away. Staring at the old man coming down the hall, he started walking toward the other. Adrenalin started to course through his body as his heart started to race. He kept his face void from emotion, listening to both of his brothers follow in suit.

_Mello must be feeling the pressure now, should he not? He is usually the impulsive one that is full of emotions. Also, this man obviously knows something. He would not go to where we were in the library then show up at the same hall of residence without having suspicions, correct? Correct, then, who is this man?_

"Gentlemen." The man said again, a small smile coming onto his lips. He kept walking, the three giving a nod of recognition.

The three quickly walked out of the halls, not looking back at the man. Near's heart rate was accelerating, feeling the thrill of almost getting caught. _Did he know? He greeted us and I did not greet verbally like last time. Will he be more suspicious now? No, I should take my own advice. I should not let my paranoia get to me._

"Let's get the fuck out of here." Mello frowned slightly, walking toward the main streets. "Matt, do you mind doing one more favor for me?"

"Sure, Mels, but I'm sure I already know what it is."

He smiled. "Thanks."

After the three had taken the public bus to get back home, the three got rid of the uniforms by hiding them neatly in the shared closet. Mello said he would get rid of the evidence later. Now, in their casual wear, they were all in a circle, sitting cross-legged, except for Near, who had his left leg bent and his right next to him, almost as if it wanted to be wrapped around himself. The matches, notebook, and nail were right in front of them, all three knowing that they had a few hours before L got home, but for extra security measures from Beyond, they had locked the door.

"…Perhaps we should analyze these items later." Near suggested, his eyes shifting from one item to the next. "We will have a fresh mindset and I rather get the phone call from the school out of the way, please, if you do not mind."

"I'll get my laptop." Matt stood up, walking to the desk that contained the black and red device. He sat on his bed, opening and waiting for it to start, fingers tapping at the side of it while his stripped socks gently tapped at the floor below them.

"…" Mello grabbed the items, which Near noticed the other's hands were shaking lightly, and put them away.

_The adrenalin is getting to all of us. Even though we know that nobody followed or suspects, the paranoia will stay fresh for a while. It is amazing what the mind can create even though it knows that it is not real._

"How long will you take?" Mello asked, coming back from the closet.

"Mm. Few minutes. I'm going to nap afterwards, why?"

"I was just wondering."

Matt flickered his eyes up, the orange goggles concealing his confused look, then looked down. Quickly, his fingers started to dance against the keys in a certain rhythm. "Mels, just do it." He suggested, concentration masking his emotions better than the eyewear.

"…" Mello said nothing, crossing his arms as a frown appeared on his face. He gave a small sigh after a while, lowering his arms down. Standing up, he held out his hand to Near. "Get up."

Not understanding the situation completely, the white-haired boy took the hand without hesitation, standing up when the other pulled at his body slightly. His gray eyes slightly widened, but quickly dulled when he felt the blonde's body press against him. Closing his eyes, he submissively wrapped his arms around the other's neck, gently gripping at his hair. Near shivered when he felt his back hit the mattress. Opening his eyes slightly, he noticed that Mello's body was hovering over his. A small pant escaped his lips. "Wait…"

"I don't feel like it." Mello answered, reaching down to kiss the other's neck lovingly and quickly.

"Mello…" Near closed his eyes, enjoying the kisses from the other. He shifted slightly, another pant escaping his lips as he tried to think. Opening his eyes a bit, his eyes widened slightly as he saw green eyes that were staring from the other side of the room, the laptop closed and completely put away. _Did he hack the school network that fast? No, that is highly unlikely. Why is he staring?_ Suddenly feeling self-conscious, he felt his cheeks brighten up.

The kisses became faster and more frequent on his neck, hands slowly rubbing the inner delicate thighs that were covered by a thin fabric. "Near…" Mello whispered huskily a few centimeters away from his ear, a small smirk on his lips. "I'm tired of being neglected; I want to have a bit of fun."

"I do not know what–" He was cut short by hands going between his thighs, his legs being forced open. Gray eyes slightly widened at the sudden exposure, not being ready by the other's actions. Pink cheeks quickly transforming into red ones as Near wanted to cover his face from the embarrassment, but held back, his face going back to an emotionless mask. "Mello…"

Bland irises watched as lips slowly started kissing his inner thighs. Teeth slightly bit down on his bottom lip as he gripped the sheets a bit, knowing that to his right, Matt was watching intently. Closing his eyes to get the image further away from his mind, he let out a small gasp, the sensations feeling stronger than before. "Mello, wait… I…" His voice was melting away, his true colors finally showing.

"What is it, Nearrrr?" The blond teased, the 'r' having a heavy Russian-like accent.

Shivering completely at the noise, he made a note in the back of his mind to ask where the accent was coming from. "Perhaps… we should wait." _No. I do not want to wait. I want it now. I really do._

"You sure?"

"Yes." _A lie. A pure lie._

"Why? You seem to really be enjoying yourself, Near."

"I…" His eyes trailed up onto the ceiling, knowing that he was under the gaze of two individuals. "I…" His voice slightly slipped confidence, the mask falling slightly. _No, I do not want to show him weakness. I do not want him to think that I am not capable of this, but what is this feeling? I would only describe it as… fear._

"Near, are you scared?" He asked, genuinely concerned for the other. "Near, you know that Matt and I would never hurt you, right?"

"Yes, I am aware."

"Do you trust us enough?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then the answer is simple. The one you are looking in your mind for. You don't trust yourself."

"…" _He is correct. He must be. These feelings are overwhelming and I do not know how to control them. Sexual lust is an easy brain chemical reaction that can be solved through coitus; however, this is not lust, is it? No, this is fear. I am fearful… that I will show my true colors to them? Sex is an act of power and both participants, in this case, possibly three, give everything up to the other. You lose part of yourself, but you gain other things. No, I am not ready for that. I cannot be, but if this is only sexual lust, then I should be able to go through with it, right? No, yes? I do not know. I am confused. This is too confusing for my logic._

"Near." Mello called, a small frown on his face as he looked at the other worried. He waved a hand in front of the other's face. "Are you spacing out?"

Blinking slightly, he turned his attention to the other that was on top of him. Almost immediately, his eyes went back to being dull. "Yes, I do apologize."

"Near…" The older adoptive brother sighed. "Trust me, the more you try to look for a logical answer, the more you will fail. You have a biased now and that is that you have crushes on both of us. You will find the scientific answers or whatever the fuck you want to call it, but Near…" He reached over, cupping the other's cheeks in his hands, a small smile tugging at his lips. "We're not going to hurt you, so calm the fuck down. Seriously, you act like a girl sometimes." He pulled away, rubbing a tanned hand over the front of Near's hair, messing it up by waving it to the right, then left, repeating the action a couple of times quickly.

"…" Near let the other do what he wished, the small blush on his features. "May I think this through for a couple of minutes?"

"Sure." Mello pulled away. "If you don't want it, I'm sure Matt and I can endure it longer or just do it." He shrugged, sitting on the redhead's bed. Grabbing a chocolate bar out of his pocket, he gave it a small snap, a small smile on his face. "Don't fucking take too long, _princess_."

Near gave a small frown, then noticed that Mello was acting his other persona that he had made earlier.

Meanwhile, Matt grabbed the laptop again, opening it. After the screen appeared on his goggles, he adjusted them slightly, as if he were going to go into battle. He started to type rather quickly, clicking a few combinations here and there. His eyes kept shifting.

The only audio that was heard throughout the room was the occasional _snap_ from the chocolate bar and fingers hitting the keys at a normal and rapid pace – _tap tap tap_ – every few moments changing.

_Mello knows about these feelings and I do not have general knowledge of it. I know that crushes and 'love' gives off many chemical hormones such as oxytocin. Then, the partners become obsessed with each other and the brain gives itself rewards. The chemicals act as if they are on drugs, such as cocaine. If… I think about Matt and Mello most of the time. I risked getting caught in many ways. I ditched school, broke the law, and am an accessory of two who broke the law. I… Mello wants to go all the way with me, I am aware. I… Do I want to go all the way with him?_

Gray eyes shifted over to the blond who was still eating chocolate while the redhead was rapidly clicking away at the keyboard. The pale hand kept twirling the piece of white hair, but it was a bit faster now, which the two boys across from him noticed after a while.

_My body wants to and personally, I do as well. I would not mind participating in sexual intercourse. They both would not keep this joke up if it were and they both seem honest about their words. Even though Matt was mad at me earlier, he seems to be fine now. Why is this difficult? Why can I not give them my body? I want to, but something is holding me back. No, I am the only thing that is standing between those two options. I want to give it to them. I do not care about virginity because it is not irrelevant to me. It is a belief that people have created, I do not believe in it. I just want…_

He kept twirling his hair, his finger moving faster and faster. Eyes shifted to the front of the blank white door in front of the room, the heart in his chest beating faster and faster.

_I want them. I want Matt and Mello. I want both of them for myself. That mafia leader… if he looked at Mello the wrong way, then I would want to punch him even though I do not have enough muscle strength or agility to do that. The thought is enough, is it not? Linda's friends… they all want Matt. If Linda started to like Matt that way, then I would… I would want to have him for myself. I do not care that she is my friend. People are pawns, people are puzzles, but the only ones I care about are L, Mello, and Matt. The second type of person is Linda. I do not care if these two… No. I do care if Mello and Matt participate in something that I am not involved in. I want to be there for them as they are with me, even if they do not show it directly. No. That is… That is what my mind is projecting. Why am I making this difficult? Near, listen to yourself. You are over exaggerating and you only have to answer one question._

Near kept twirling the piece of hair, a few strands catching themselves on his finger, some quickly snapping away from his scalp. He didn't even feel the pain as he kept thinking about the question, his heart still beating rather quickly.

_Yes, it is only one simple question I must ask myself. There is only one answer. This emotion will_**_not_**_consume me. They are_**_not_**_what I think or project them to be:_**_poison._**_I… I have to ask myself what I do not want to ask. I do not want to answer it, but enough is enough. Do I want to have sex with both of them?_

The finger stopped, his gaze looking beyond the door. The snap of chocolate and the tapping of the keys were barely loud enough now.

_I do. Now, why can I not accept the fact? I do not want to accept it because I do not think I am capable of showing enough emotion or talking about my feelings. My mind right now is thinking too much on the subject. I do not want to be impulsive. Which leads to my other question, do I want a romantic relationship with both of them? Yes, I do. There is no hesitation; that is what I want from them. Even if this is sexual lust or not, then both of them should be aware of the gamble. Yes, that is my answer. My answer is yes._

Blinking away the gaze, he turned his attention to both of them. The chocolate was gone and the laptop was put away, both pair of green and blue eyes staring intently.

"Well?" Mello asked, slipping the last piece of chocolate into his mouth.

"Would you two want a romantic relationship afterward?" He asked calmly, his heart still beating quickly as the two eyes that were scanning his every move.

"I would and so does Matt." He shrugged slightly, throwing the wrapper at the black trash bin that was near the wooden desk, where the laptop was laying upon on.

"I do, Near. I'd like a serious relationship with both of you." Matt answered honestly, complete and rare seriousness manifesting all over his features.

"Do you two know the chances of getting hurt because of me?" _No, should have I asked that? It is important, but is it taking a dramatic question to ask them?_

"Yeah, we're aware, Near." Mello answered for them again, raising his leg up to the bed, his arm extended over it. Leaning back and placing his hand behind the mattress behind him, he gave a small shrug.

"You think you're the only fucking one? I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm an active son of a bitch. Matt is…"

"I think a lot of girls are cute." He gave a small shrug. "Of course they don't catch my interest, but as long as you're fine with that, then I'll be fine about you not showing much emotion or Mello being active."

"I want satisfaction." The chocoholic confessed, a small smile on his face. "I can either go to both of you or one of you, but I'm getting it one way or another." He gave a small wink, then shrugged. "Or I'll do it myself, but whatever."

"…" Near's lips slowly tugged at a small smile at the statement.

"Big-headed idiot, I don't know if you're aware, but everyone is supposed to overcome things in their romantic relationships. It makes the bonds stronger and besides, if it isn't those tiny things, then it'll be L and Beyond. Either way that you fucking see it, we have a shit load of problems."

Matt gave a small chuckle at that, stretching slightly. "Yep."

"Besides, Mr. Goody-goody." Cerulean eyes stared into gray eyes that had a bit of life in them as every sentence was said. "Are _you_ sure you want to date _us_? I mean, have you seen us? I'm the rebellious smartass that doesn't mind violence and works with a mafia leader to get things done and dirt on Beyond, but Matty here isn't an angel either. He hacks into computers and he's basically my bitch."

"…" Matt looked over at the blond, then stayed quiet and looked back at Near.

Mello took that as a sign to continue, "Near, you… I don't know what you'll be, but I'm sure I can squeeze in the position of having another bitch. You don't mind, right, Matt?"

Matt gave a small smirk at the other's comments, wanting to roll his eyes, but holding back. "Right, Mels."

"…" Near's lips slowly twitched a bit into a smile, but then turned into a smirk. "I believe that it will be the other way around, Mello. I do not like being manipulated, but you and Matt are easily manipulated. You both will be mine."

A whistle came out of Matt's mouth. "Whoa, burn." He smiled a bit, looking over at Mello.

Mello gave a small frown. "Whatever. Come over here and strip for us already."

"As you wish."


	7. Climax

Sock-covered feet walked across the short distance to stand in front of the blond genius. Gray eyes stared into cerulean – the fierce contact showing in both of their gazes. Slowly, pale hands that had confidence came up to unbutton the white button up shirt. Without anything else underneath, porcelain skin made its appearance. "Mello…" He spoke quietly, his eyes continuing to stare into the other. "Do you have any other requests?" A small smirk was on his lips. "Or did you expect me to strip completely and for me to do all of the work?"

"I don't know, Near." The blond spoke, his eyes now looking down at what the fabric that was teasing his view. "You're showing me very little, but if you insist, do you know how to dance?"

"I do not."

"Then let me show you." He stood up, his bare feet padding over to the other individual. Standing behind him, Mello's hands gripped the other's wrists lightly, pulling them backwards. Leaning in, he whispered with hot breath, "Are you ready, big-headed idiot?"

Instead of the frown appearing, a shiver made its way up and down his spine. Turning his head slightly to try and look at the self-reliant cerulean eyes, he gave a small silent nod.

"Good."

The next thing Near knew, a body was pressed up against his back. A light blush came onto his features as he felt his older adoptive brother start to grind into him slowly. Closing his eyes with pleasure due to the friction, the temperature of his own body rising, he started to move against the other, trying his best to dance. _I feel embarrassed. I do not know how to dance. I never learned, but neither of them is making fun of me. That makes my heart warm and fuzzy for an odd reason._

Reaching back, he gripped blond locks with his right hand, the left staying at his side. He gently moved back against the other, letting Mello lead their fluid motions. When hands gripped his hips, he didn't resist or rebel against them. The hands slowly started to guide the hips to move from side to side, which Near followed effortlessly. His heart started to race at the movements, listening closely to the brother behind him. He could listen to Mello's breath slightly hitching and his own heart pounding hard against his chest.

Hips were pulled closer, lips trailing down small kisses on the pale and untainted neck. Near shut his eyes a bit tighter, slightly grinding backwards, encouraging his adoptive brother to keep going. Gripping the locks a bit more, his lips parted to let out a small pant. "Mello…" He whispered, pleasure overtaking his vision, body, and mind.

"Near." The other spoke, his voice covered with lust.

Soon, both bodies were moving against each other fluidly, dancing to the beat that was invisible in the air. Their hearts speed up as their bodies fit against the other as two perfect puzzle pieces. Hips moved against each other, causing more and more friction, their bodies' temperature rising onto unbearable degrees, mouths slightly panting for air.

"Mello…" Pink cheeks slowly turned into red ones, the motions of both of their hips moving sensually. "You're…"

"Shut up." A command came out as a tanned hand came forward. "You are too, aren't you?"

Gray eyes looked down when the hand came to stop in front of his waistband. Shutting his eyes tightly when the foreign hand groped with a bit of a tight squeeze, his mouth opened to let out a moan that he couldn't contain. His mind blurred with pure pleasure, his heart racing faster. Stopping his hips, he gripped the blond locks a bit tighter, giving them a small tug as revenge. "Mello…" He breathed.

"I told you to be quiet, didn't I?" Mello gave harsh kisses to the other's neck, their wet and invisible trail giving shivers to the other.

"Yes, but I want to tell you something first." Near breathed out, trying to calm his emotions and reactions.

"I'm listening."

The kisses moved to the back of his neck, which made the younger adoptive brother cringe slightly with delight. He kept his hand on the blond strand of hairs, his mind trying to focus, but his IQ was quickly diminishing. "I… I want to be passionate, I do not want accessories."

Kisses stopped on their trail as lustful coated sky blue eyes registered the words said. "Alright." He agreed, looking over his shoulder at green eyes that were staring intently. Noticing the small nod that was given from the gamer, he started to give more kisses. "If I get carried away, then whatever."

"Mello…" Near warned, but was cut short when lips on the back of his neck gave a small bite. Silencing the noise with teeth against his own bottom lip, he remained quiet. _That is fair. You two have been craving for sexual stimulation for a while. I know that partners should come to a standard agreement, I do not mind. Wait, does that not contradict my statement?_

"I want you to lie down on Matt's bed."

Instead of protesting, he let go of Mello's hair and got on the bed. Knowing that this would be better for what activities they would be doing, he laid back comfortably. Cigarettes and a certain type of cologne mixed smell hit his senses, which made him feel more turned on. _Matt's scent… It smells very delightful and arousing._

Before he could try to react to the surroundings around him, he noticed that blue eyes were on top of him. "Mello…" He spoke a bit breathlessly.

"I'll have you moaning my name in a bit, so don't wear it out yet." He smirked slightly, shifting down a bit. As before, he grabbed the creamy white thighs that were hidden by thin fabric and spread the legs open.

Closing his eyes and panting at the sensations, Near gripped the sheets slightly. He wanted to call out to the other and moan his name, but part of him wanted to follow Mello's command and the logical part of his mind that told him to not give away any signs of weakness.

Feeling the hands rub against his inner thighs, he felt his back arching slightly off the bed. "Ah…" Opening his eyes a bit, he gripped the pillow from underneath. Shifting his eyes a bit, he stared into a small and gentle smile from the other. Hands continued to lightly rub, causing Near's heart to speed up, his mind struggling to grip onto logic to move onto the heavenly pleasure.

Soon, lips made themselves known on his chest. Instead of keeping his eyes open, he closed them, a pale hand reaching to grip an unknown color of hair, not looking earlier who was giving them. "Mm…" He let out the small noise, feeling two hands grip the fabric of his waistband. _I want this to go faster, but that would contradict what I said earlier, would it not? I…_

"Faster." He panted out, noticing that the kisses and hands on his waist stopped their motions. Opening his eyes slightly again, he noticed that it was Mello leaning over while Matt quietly observing from the side.

"You're so needy, you know that?" Mello smirked a bit, pulling at the pants rather quickly. He let them drop to the side of the bed, sitting up on his knees, towering over the other. "You keep contradicting yourself. I was about to get there, but you seem as if you can't handle this, can–"

Sitting his body up, Near wrapped his arms around Mello's neck, pulling him down for a light kiss. His eyes were covered in desire as he gave a small pant. "Mello…" He commanded, giving more gentle kisses to the other's surprise. "Mello…"

"Alright, alright." His voice turned a bit gentle. "Calm down already, you horny big-headed idiot." He removed the arms from around his neck, pushing the other back on the bed. "Sheesh, you're going to make us fucking jump you or something."

Softly, his back hit against the mattress. Hazily, Near shifted a bit. Reaching out, he cupped Mello's erection, smiling a bit when the other jumped.

Eyes that widened slowly turned to the other, turning into a small glare. "Why you little…" He smirked a bit. "You want to play that game? Fine by me." With that, he grabbed the other's hands, pinning them against the mattress of the bed.

A small gasp escaped his lips as he felt soft lips against his neck again. He bit down on his own lip, spreading his legs a bit more when Mello got in between them. Feeling the other's erection against his, he gave a small smirk. _Do you want to make this into a game? Alright, Mello, let us play this game._

Moving his hips against the other to cause friction, he listened to the breath of his older brother's, a small groan making his own entire body shiver. "Mello…" Near turned his head to look at the other, their lips almost touching, the small smirk on his features.

"You little…" He panted, his face blushing slightly. "You're not bad for an amateur, I'll give you that. You're feisty."

"…" Near said nothing, waiting for the other's move in the simple game of chess that they had begun. _He likes it. He will not admit it, but I know that he does._

One hand pulled away from imprisoning Near's hand, moving down to the white waistband. Giving no warming, Mello slipped it inside and gripped the other. Instead of waiting, he rubbed the tip with his thumb, lightly tugging at the skin to tease the slit.

Gray eyes slightly widened at all of the sensations, his mouth gasping for air, his back slightly arching off the air. A moan escaped his throat, eyes shutting tightly. "Ah!" He groaned slightly, gripping the pillow from his free hand.

"Told you." Mello said in a matter-of-fact tone, his thumb continuing to tease. He rubbed his finger over the delicate opening, feeling a smirk come onto his features as he felt the wetness from the other. "What's wrong, Near? Are you losing control already?"

The hand that was constricted by its wrist started to constrict and struggle to grip at something, but the air was the only solution. Near moved his hips upward a bit out of instinct, his sensations being overrun by the quick movements of the other's hand and finger. "Mello!" He moaned out in a foreign voice, his voice slightly shaking and cracking at the pleasure.

"Mmm." Came a small grunt, the finger continuing to tease at the opening. The small feeling of victory was when he felt more of the fluid leak out, staring at how his younger brother's face was showing all types of faces.

"Please…" He gasped a bit more, not knowing what he was begging for. "Please…" He didn't have time to mentally curse at his out-of-character voice and word as he tried to grind up into the hand, demanding for more friction. Panting and gasping, he let out a small noise when the hands pulled away. Eyes shifted slightly to look at Mello while shivering at the loss of contact, taking note of the blue eyes that were foggy with an intense craving. "Mello…"

"If you want more, then you're going to have to work for it. Sit up."

Weakly, he made his muscles move until he was sitting up right. He kept panting slightly, a small frown forming on his lips. "…"

"Pleasure us." Mello motioned over toward Matt.

Green eyes slightly widened at the command, his filtered eyes looking over at the blond. "Mels?"

"You're an idiot if you think I haven't noticed your problem."

A small blush made its way onto his features as he smiled a bit, giving a small shrug. "…"

Near reached over with both of his hands starting to unlace the laces from Mello's pants while trying to do the same for Matt's zipper and button. He felt nervousness coursing through his body as he felt a bit anxious. Reaching inside with both of his hands through both of their tight confinements, he felt a large shiver run through his body, making his back slightly straighten up. Gripping their shafts slightly, Near took them both out.

Green eyes shut tightly, the gloved hands gripping the sheets. "Oh, that feels so good…" He hissed slightly, a small pant escaping his lips.

"Mmm." Mello moaned a bit, forcing his eyes to stay open. He looked into Near's eyes that were losing their glossy haze. "Perform fellatio on both of us."

Instead of asking how to do that, Near took the challenge silently to figure out. He kept moving his hands, lightly pumping through them. Pausing slightly, he wondered who he could pleasure first. _Mello would get jealous easily and it seems that Matt does not care._

Gulping slightly, he reached over to Mello's erection, his eyes showing slight nervousness. He was trying his best to conceal it, but part of the nervousness didn't help with what he was trying to do. Instead, he leaned down, kissing the tip lightly. Near knew the basics of it, but to actually have technique – it was not in his department of knowledge.

_No, have I not read about this somewhere? Yes, that article, back then… We were doing it for sexual education and then I read a few things about it. Now, the only problem I will have is to actually execute the material read a long time ago._

Moving down, Near closed his eyes as his mouth engulfed Mello's member into his mouth. Sucking slightly, he kept moving his left hand, encouraged by the sounds above him. Starting to move the hardness in his mouth in and out slowly, he continued to suck. Gray eyes opened slightly at the feeling of two hands gripping his snowy curly locks.

"Keep going." Mello commanded when their eyes met.

Deciding that it would be better to close his eyes, he did. Moving his head up and down a bit faster, trying to fit most of his adoptive brother inside, he continued to suck. A blush was on his cheeks as he could hear the lewd noises coming from his mouth. Sucking a bit harder, he moved his hand faster, trying not to multitask. When he felt hips move against his left hand, he tightened his grip slightly to cause a bit more of stimulation.

Near wanted to smile, but continued his motions, listening to Mello's and Matt's breath hitch above him. The two hands that gripped on his slight-curls had a different type of grip. _It must be both of them._

The hand on his right tightened a bit more and it was confirmed by Mello's breath hitching a bit more. Eyes slightly widened when his head was pressed down, his gag reflexes trying to make him pull back. Instead, Near controlled his breathing and felt his eyes slightly water. Going back to sucking, he moved at the speed that the hand was on his head.

"Fuck." Mello hissed through teeth, gripping the sheets of the bed. He pushed Near's head down a bit more. "That feels so damn good."

"Mmm…" Near groaned a bit, sending vibrations throughout his throat that made the blond grind his teeth a bit in his throat. Trying to breathe more, his eyes slightly widened at the hand that pushed his head farther down one last time, gagging in the process.

Quickly pulling back, pink cheeks coated his cheeks as he stared into Mello's hazy eyes. The chocoholic slumped backwards, a small smile on his features. Near felt the blush more when Mello motioned over to Matt, who had stopped thrusting at the sudden action from the two, his eyes slightly wide and attentive.

"You swallowed most of it, now suck." He commanded.

Near raised a hand over to the side of his lip, feeling the sticky substance there. Red covered his cheeks as he stared at Matt's waiting gaze. Feeling turned on by the situation, he moved his head down, giving the tip a light kiss. Near felt gloved hands slowly go through his hair again as he closed his eyes, starting to suck at the already-wet tip. Moving his head down, he moved his head up and down, ignoring the shifting from the bed to his right.

When he felt the last of his clothing that were on his hips leave, he didn't protest. He felt the blush return as he continued to pleasure the smoker while two external hands were shifting on his thighs.

"This might hurt, but try to relax."

Near opened his eyes slightly at the statement, stopping his motions. Looking up at orange-tinted eyes, he was greeted with a light smile.

Reaching down, one of the gloved hands stroked his pale cheek.

Feeling rather encouraged by the statement and light stroke to his cheek, he closed his eyes again and continued to suck lightly. Listening to a cap opening, he didn't hear anything else until the gel substance hit his entrance. Shivering under its contents, he sucked a bit harder, trying to concentrate on the task. He could hear Matt's breath slightly speed up again, which he focused on, but the top of a finger lightly rubbed against his entrance, moving inside a few moments later.

Gasping at the sensation, Near pulled back from the other and shut his eyes a bit. He made his best to relax, feeling a wave of pleasure run through his body. Lying his head down on Matt's lap, he closed his eyes, panting hot breaths. Feeling fingers slowly run through his white hair gently, he closed his eyes a bit, his lips twitching a bit to give a light smile. It was short lived when another finger slipped inside. Trying to keep his mind calm and relax, he winced involuntary. It was a slight stretched that still send little painful sensations throughout his body.

"Suck, Near." Mello commanded, slowly starting to move the fingers. "You don't want to torture Matt, do you?"

At the question, he looked up into half-closed green eyes. Instead of replying, he moved his mouth to the other's erection again, closing his eyes and pushing it inside his mouth slowly. Starting to suck, he moaned lightly when the fingers inside of his body started to move around. It was slightly painful, but the pleasurable waves were distracting his body. Near gave a light smile when he felt fingers rake through his hair, stroking them lovingly.

"Mmm." He moaned a bit, looking up with a heated gaze at Matt's eyes. He moved the other inside deeper, almost feeling him at the back of his throat. The white-haired boy could hear the gamer's breath hitch as the other gloved hand gripped the white sheets of the bed rather tightly. _Is he holding back for me?_

The smile grew a bit more, Near's attention driving away from the fingers that were sending mix signals throughout his body. When he felt the third finger go inside himself, he let out an accidental groan, gripping the sheets next to Matt's hand.

Meanwhile, Matt threw his head back at the pleasurable vibrations running through him. He gripped at the white locks tighter, his eyes shut tight behind the goggles. "Fuck." A profane mutter came from his lips, trying to gulp the sensations away. Not being able to hold back, Matt pushed Near's head down to feel more stimulation.

Three fingers moving inside him in a rhythm were quite painful to his senses, but he was distracted when his head was pushed down. He felt Matt at the back of his throat, gagging slightly. Sucking more, Near looked up at the other's reaction, wondering what type of preference for sex that the smoker head. While his insides were being stretched, he shut his eyes and tried to move his head a bit faster to give Matt pleasure, his insides constantly being lubricated with more and more gel as Mello tried his best to be gentle.

"Mmm." He moaned a bit, his body losing itself in the pleasure and pain. The gloved hand kept pushing down at his head while Near tried to control his breathing and reflexes while fingers wandered and traveled everywhere inside. "Mmm." He moaned a bit, his mind almost completely gone as pure instincts were starting to take over.

"Fuck." Matt muttered, finally turning his attention down to the other. He panted a bit. "I'm almost there."

Near's eyes looked up at the other, his mind foggy as he felt fingers brush up against a certain spot inside after going in deeper. He moaned loudly, which made Matt move a bit. Shifting a bit from his spot, Near tried to move against the fingers, but was interrupted when his head was pushed down again. Near quickly pulled away, coughing slightly as he felt the other side of his face completely wet. Blushing red, he let out a moan when the fingers shifted inside of him. "Ah!" He frowned a bit, gripping the sheets.

"Done already?"

"Mmm." Matt replied, his world blurred with different types of sensations. He leaned back, smiling a bit.

As the three fingers continued to move inside of him with a gentle motion, Near felt his own erection twitch against his skin. Eyes shut tightly as he panted and gasped for breath, trying to desperately control his facial reactions. He felt a bit more of gel go inside of him after the fingers stopped, a small smile coming onto his features. He could barely think through the mist of his mind. _Mello is very gentle. That makes me happy._

"Near, are you ready?" The question broke through the silenced air.

"Yes, but may I ask for a request?" He asked.

"That depends on what it is."

"What position would hurt less?"

"This one, unless if you want to do missionary in a weird way or something, but that'll hurt you more during your first time. This way I'll get deeper, unless if you have another way we can do it with the three participating?"

"Mels, I can just watch like before, then take one of both of you." He smiled a bit, shrugging slightly. "It's no biggie for me, I already got enough."

"You lazy fuck." Near could hear the smile in the other's voice.

Moving slightly, he panted a bit. "No, let's do it this way." Near made up his mind, giving a small nod. He moved slightly, putting his hands on Matt's shoulders. Leaning over, he captured the other's lips in a gentle kiss, his pale eye lids closing. A small moan was given as he felt the fingers exiting his body. Then, he felt lips moving against his own.

"Mm… you're a bit salty." Matt smiled lightly, staring at the other's blush.

Noticing that Mello had stopped his movements momentarily, he took the moment to sit up. Reaching over, he grabbed the bottom of the stripped shirt, pulling it upwards. "Take it off." Near whispered a bit breathlessly. "I want to see both of you."

"Someone's needy." Mello spoke as Near lifted the shirt over Matt's head, discarding it on the floor.

"Would you like me to take off the rest of my clothing?" Near asked, his dull eyes trailing over to the blond.

"No, you're fucking arousing with just your shirt and socks."

"…" Confusion was over his features, but he pushed it aside. Moving over to Mello, he gently grabbed the vest, a small blush covering his features. Sliding it off, he leaned over, giving the tan skin gentle kisses. He leaned up, kissing the other's neck a bit needy, gripping the other's shoulders. "Mello?"

"What now?" Mello asked a bit harshly, but the younger one knew that he wasn't upset.

"Before I end up forgetting…" He trailed his eyes up to the cerulean, a small smile coming onto his features. "Nate, but I'll tell you my last name at the end."

Cerulean blue and emerald green eyes widened once the one word registered through their minds. They stared at the white-haired boy dumbfounded for a few moments, before a small smirk appeared on Mello's face and a gentle smile was on Matt's.

"Fine, my name's Mihael, don't wear it out."

"Mail."

Near could feel their bond strengthen at the other's names. He tugged at both of their pants, the smile never disappearing. "May we please continue?"

"Yeah, we can." Mello answered, slipping off his pants and throwing them on the floor. Reaching over, he grabbed the lube from the side of the bed. "Get on your knees and hands."

Turning around slightly to face Matt, he noticed that the other was already completely naked. A small blush came onto his features as he leaned over the other slightly, capturing his lips. Turning his head to the right, he gave more kisses, his heart beating quickly. Opening his mouth when the other asked silently by licking his lips lightly, he started to rub back lightly. Hands came up to grip the shoulders lightly, both of them giving and receiving gentle kisses.

Near felt lost in the pleasurable bliss, the taste of smoke and another taste that he could not register at his lips. He disliked the taste of smoke, but the unknown taste made up for it. Almost immediately, he pulled away when he felt a wide thick thing enter him. Groaning a bit in pain, he moved and laid his head down on Matt's chest, his eyes shutting tightly. Fingers tightly wrapped themselves around the white sheets, his gasps and breaths being the only sound in the air.

"Fuck, Near, relax." Mello growled a bit due to the tightness.

"…" He would have responded, but felt Mello move in deeper. Creating friction by moving his teeth against each other, he grinded them, his jaw tight. Every muscle in his body was completely tense as he tried to relax and control his emotions.

A bare hand came up to stroke his cheek. Turning his gaze a bit, he noticed captivating bright orange eyes staring at him lovingly. "Relax." The gamer whispered, stroking the other's cheek more lovingly.

Leaning into the loving touch, he closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on relaxing. He could feel Mello's hands grip on his hips and he knew that the other was trying to hold back as much as he could with all the little self-control he had. Panting a bit and forcing his own body to relax, he nodded. "Mello… move." He commanded, bracing himself for the sheering pain.

"Mmm." Came the moan that broke through his ears.

After it, he felt Mello move in deeper. His breath hitched as he gasped, gripping the sheets tighter. Knuckles turned white, his insides feeling as if they were tearing. "Mello…" Eyelids cringed tightly at the pain. He groaned a bit. "Stop… let me…" Near could barely feel Mello's broad chest on covered back.

"You know, you're doing great for not screaming." The blond whispered next to his ear, placing a gentle kiss on the outer shell. Even though his voice sounded very constrained, he trailed his hands between the other's legs. Fingertips lightly touched the delicate organ. Blue eyes widened slightly a small blush brushed against his cheeks. "Near…"

"I… am aware." He panted heavy, a small frown on his face as he tried to make himself relax.

"You're so _wet_."

Near frowned a bit more – mostly at the embarrassment of the statement and being caught. Feeling Mello move in deeper, he gave a small whine. Meanwhile, the hand curled around his base, starting to move. He shivered at the sensation, biting down on his lip.

"You're so _dirty_, you big-headed idiot. Did you get that _turned on_ by _sucking us_ off?"

"I do not…" Near tried to think straight, his cheeks turning a red color. He gasped as the fingers teased his tip, gripping on the sheets more. By the profane talk and both of the sensations of pleasure and pain, it was becoming harder and harder to think.

"Cute little dirty _slut_." Mello whispered, kissing the other's neck lightly. "You want to be fucked by _both_ of us at the same time, don't you?"

"I…" Lustful eyes slightly opened at the statement; however, they were quickly shut again when Mello entered all the way inside. "Mm!" He moaned a bit, gripping the sheets tightly again. Grinding his teeth, he managed his mouth to open it. The movement of the hand in front of him brought him back to heavenly pleasure. "Ah… Mello…"

"Answer my question." Mello asked, trying to distract the other.

"What… question?" Near forced out, his memory failing quite miserably.

"Beg for me to move. Beg for Matt to screw you in the mouth."

"Mello…" A frown was on his features as gray eyes tried to look back at cerulean. "That is… absurd. I would never."

"You want to bet?" The chocoholic gave a small smirk, a deviant look in his eye.

The frown was quickly replaced with a small smirk, gray eyes looking lusty through the fog of pleasure.

Suddenly, hips started to move as Mello started to pull out, straightening his back as he held the delicate hips between his hands. Slowly pushing forward, not wanting to hurt the other, he started to thrust at a slow pace. His breath hitched at the tightness while he fought the instincts to ram into the withering body below him.

"…" Near gasped slightly, trying to contain his moans as he felt his older adoptive brother move in and out of him. Reaching upward, he grabbed onto Matt's shoulders, staring at the silent gamer that had his eyes half-closed with sexual desire. Giving a gentle kiss to the pink cheek, he gave small kisses. The pain was slowly going away as it was being replaced by pleasure, small moans threatening to come out of his throat and mouth. Kissing down Matt's chest and stomach, he closed his eyes, giving one last kiss to Matt's tip that was begging for attention.

Opening his mouth slightly, he was about to take Matt inside for a second time, when Mello gave a hard thrust. Gasping loudly, he let out an accidental moan. "Ah!"

"I want to hear you before you do that." Mello spoke, towering over the other. His hand made its way between Near's legs again, gripping the other's erection. Moving his hand up and down quickly, he gave a small smile. "Near… you're so wet, you little dirty slut. You're real _naughty_, aren't you?" Thrusting deeper, he started to pick up his pace, rubbing his lips lightly against the pale shoulder that could be reached while the shirt was askew.

"Ah…" Gray eyes were out of view as his eyes were shut. The blush on his cheek turned redder as he heard his older adoptive brother's comment. Shaking his head slightly, he felt his back arch slightly under Mello's chest, moaning lightly now and then – the sensations becoming too good.

"Beg for it." Mello commanded, a strained look on his face.

Shaking his head slightly, Near struggled to keep control. Moan after moan started to escape his lips as he felt the pleasure overrun his body. Panting heavy, he laid his head down on Matt's lap.

"Beg." Mello taunted. "Beg, little slut."

His mentality was slowly diminishing as he could barely keep anything in control. As he felt Mello go in deeper and hit a particular spot, he arched his back involuntarily. "Mihael!" He moaned loudly, not intending for it to be the other's real name. His body shuddered as his orgasm filled the thin sheets, his mind in a haze. Although, he was brought back to the place he had left at feeling the spot being hit again. A weak moan escaped his lips, his mind completely gone.

"Beg." Mello commanded again, panting behind him. Cerulean eyes stared as the other was reacting, knowing exactly well what it meant.

"Mihael…" Near started, his voice rather different – softer, a small hint of defeat behind it. "Mail…"

"What is it that you want?" He moved faster and deeper into the other, eager to know the answer.

"Ah!" Gripping the sheets, the white-haired boy moaned, his hips pushing back into the other to cause more friction. "More! Please!"

"Work for it."

Instincts took over after Mello had said the command, Near closed his eyes as he took Matt's member into his mouth weakly. Starting to suck eagerly, he moved against Mello's hips, trying to get the other deeper. Near could feel the smoker go deeper inside him, euphoria filling every sense. Moaning louder, he could barely hear Matt's breath hitch or Mello's grunts behind him. Sucking harder and pushing Matt inside more, he could feel him at the back of his throat, moving forward when Mello's hips gave a thrust into him. Near felt slightly embarrassed when he felt his own member twitch against his stomach, begging for another release.

Suddenly, he started to hum a bit, noticing that Matt started to lightly moan at each sound he was currently making. Deciding to take a bold move, he tightened around Mello's member behind him.

"Fuck, Nate." Mello muttered, his voice filled with lust. "Is that still you in there?"

Ignoring the statement, he tightened a bit more, humming louder. The passion from the other two was becoming too much as he bobbed his head, getting Matt in deep each time, almost as if he didn't have any reflexes. The sensation of feeling his older brother at the back of his throat made him feel a foreign feeling that he could not explain. While Mello kept pounding into his own body, he felt his eyes wanting to roll to the back of his head. He stopped humming, moaning each time Mello pounded inside of him, which caused Matt's tip to hit the back of his throat.

"Mmm!" Near shut his eyes, feeling all of the stimulation becoming too much. Gripping the sheets, he felt himself release onto the sheets again, his climax hitting. He felt all of his own muscles tensing and tightening – mostly around the blond. The white-haired genius felt his head being pushed down as he heard two groans – Matt's first, then Mello's.

"Fuck, Nate." Matt called out.

"Nate." Mello called out second with a husky moan.

Near felt part of a substance run down his throat as he pulled away, panting heavy as he lazily laid down his head onto Matt's lap, most of the orgasm dripping down the side of his mouth. He wasn't sure if he was blushing due to the heat on his face, knowing that most of it was covered in Mello's and Matt's fluids.

Feeling Mello push into a spot into him that made him moan through the fogginess of pleasure, he shivered when he felt the hot liquid inside of him. Seconds later, Mello had pulled out of him, but Near could feel the other's orgasm trickle down the side of his legs. Instead of his body collapsing, he remained in the position, trying to catch his breath. Every muscle in his body felt as if it weighed tons, but he felt exhilarated.

_I should move… the pillows will be more comfortable._

Deciding to move, Near sat up and winced slightly at the sensations inside of him. Noticing that Mello had already beaten him, he lightly crawled on the bed, lying next to the other. Closing his eyes, he felt the body shift when Matt lay next to him.

"That was…" Near started, wondering exactly what word to use.

"Hm?" Mello asked.

"…" Matt remained quiet, bringing the blanket up to cover all of them. He wrapped his arms around both of them, pulling them rather closely. He closed his eyes, yawning slightly. "Fucking amazing." He mumbled for them, wanting to take a nap.

"Yes, it was." Near spoke, a small smile coming onto his lips as he felt the blanket being brought up to them and the arm also being wrapped protect way around him and Mello.

Mello gave a small sigh, closing his own eyes at the sensations. "It was… you weren't bad at it, big-headed idiot." He gave a small smirk. "You begged too, that was cute."

Near felt his cheeks heat up at the statement, glad that Mello couldn't see it. A small frown was made on his features as he lightly nudged the other. "…"

Chuckling slightly at the other's action, Mello opened his cerulean blue eyes, turning his head to the left. Staring into lively gray eyes, he smirked a bit. "What? Are you upset now?"

"I am tired." Near mumbled, the frown never leaving his features.

"Keehl."

Near stared at the other, wondering what the word meant, but remembered the conversation before. He gave a small smile.

"Jeevas. Goodnight." Matt shifted a bit, nuzzling into Near's shoulder.

"River." Near answered, shivering slightly at the smoker's movements.

"That's a cute name." Mello shifted slightly against Matt's arm that was wrapped around him. "Also, I forgot to mention, but you probably won't be able to walk for a while and you'll be limping a lot."

"…" Near's eyes refrained from going wide, the frown deepening. "Excuse me?" He tried his best to ignore the feeling of Matt's smile against his skin.

"Also, if you ever want sex, then it's really simple. Come to us with your button up shirt closed or open, whatever you want, only your socks, and be naked underneath. We'll take you then and there."

"…You expect me to do that?" Near frowned a bit more, feeling rather annoyed at the other's words.

"For our birthdays, we'd appreciate it. Holidays work too." Mello only turned his eyes to the other, a small smirk on his face. "When we graduate school too. Any type of celebration, really."

"…" Near remained quiet, letting a finger come up to his white hair, twirling a strand. "…No."

"Fine." Mello shrugged, stretching slightly.

"The nail." Near spoke, knowing that Matt was probably asleep by now. "What do you believe the nail symbolizes?"

"Fuck, Near." Cerulean eyes were slightly wide at the question. "You want to discuss work right now right after we've all had sex?"

"Do you not do that?" He thought, waiting for the answer patiently.

"No." Mello sighed a bit. "You sure have a lot to learn, don't you?"

"It would seem so."

"Big-headed idiot." Mello mumbled, a small smile coming onto his features. "Go to sleep, that's what you do after sex."

"Then why are you still awake?" Near asked, twirling his hair a bit more.

He gave a small shrug. "I don't fucking know."

Near noticed the small blush that was there. He stared up at the ceiling. "Mello… may I ask your opinion on something?"

"Oh? The _great_ Near _needs_ my opinion?"

Instead of answering with a rude remark, he continued to idly twirl the lock of hair. "The nail is the only piece that is getting to me. I understand why Beyond chose the numbers 404 instead of 1313, but I do not know why he would have a nail there. He has the notebook that is filled with a lot of numbers. I do not know what they mean and the matches."

Mello remained quiet, listening to the other give a small speech. He shifted slightly on his side, starting to gently stroke at the other's white locks, ignoring the hand that was curling the hair. "Are you going to keep thinking about that after having this intimate moment?"

Near shifted his eyes, noticing Mello's soft voice and gestures. Knowing that he should drop the topic by the other's actions, he dropped his hand and the subject with it. Leaning over, he closed his eyes and pressed a gentle kiss on the other's lips.

A few milliseconds later, he felt lips against his own. Tongues rubbed against each other fiercely, the hand quickly curling itself around the white locks rather hard. Near winced slightly at the sensation, glad that his face didn't show it. Continuing to give back kisses, he shivered when he felt the locks being pulled at lightly. "Mello…?" He breathed, rather confused by the situation.

"I want you for myself right now." Mello spoke, trailing kisses from the side of his face down to his neck.

Gray eyes closed themselves in pleasure. He didn't hesitate when he moved his head to the left, his face slightly in red locks. Waves of light pleasure were going through his body as he felt the kisses, a small pant escaping his lips at the sensations. Near felt Matt's hand being removed from his body as he felt a body shift on top of him. Instead of asking what the other was doing, he wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Shifting his head back to the other, Near felt Mello press his lips against him as hands slowly trailed all over his body.

Moving his own body upwards, he shivered when he felt Mello's semi-erection against his thigh. A pink blush came onto his features as he looked up at the other with a heated gaze after breaking the kiss. "Mello…" He breathed, his heart fluttering and feeling happy at his older brother's physical reaction.

Instead of getting an answer, their lips were brought together again. This time, gray eyes slightly widened at the eagerness and harshness the other brought. Breath hitching between kisses, he felt his legs carefully being spread, the body in between them getting ready. Expecting a hard shove, he wrapped his arms tightly against the other, closing his eyes again to brace himself. Then, it came as a hard thrust, Mello pushing himself inside the other. A gasp was caught in their kiss at the sudden sensations.

Holding onto his shoulders, Near felt their bodies rocking back and forth on the mattress, his legs staying in the air. Feeling his body heat up quickly and the kisses keeping his noises inside, Near felt his mind starting to go into the hazy fog again. The sensations increased when Mello lowered down his body, keeping both of them tightly together. Blushing at the sensations, he controlled his faces when Mello pulled away, staring into blue eyes. The look said it all – this round was about power.

Cloudy eyes slowly turned dull as he panted at the sensations of Mello being inside again. He shivered and fought the moans that wanted to escape. Staring at his older adoptive brother move down to his chest, he gripped the sheets a bit with his right hand, not wanting to move too much due to a sleeping Matt on his shoulder. Fingers from his left hand slowly curled around blond locks, a small smile coming onto his features as the game kept continuing.

Mello's swirling tongue around his sensitive nipple didn't make the moan that was caught on his throat escape. Instead, he tightened his left hand around the blond locks, his right hand's knuckles turning white. He tried to maintain the façade of his usual self – emotionless. However, it was short lived when Mello's thrusting became harder and faster, pushing deep into his sensitive insides. He gasped when he felt a particular spot being hit.

Covering his mouth with his right hand, he shivered a lot. Quickly regretting not using his other hand, he tightened his hand round blond locks, but felt the motions continuing. Waves of pleasure after pleasure were at a rhythm, the friction causing unbearable moans wanting to escape. Half-closing his eyes, Near tried to hold onto his emotions, knowing that it was reactions is what Mello wanted. _Or is this about something else?_

The thrusting kept continuing, Mello managing to go deeper and deeper into his prostate. Near arched his back, noticing that he was losing the game. Pulling his hand away from his mouth, he gasped and panted quickly. Feeling the kisses on his neck, he fought his closing eyes. Teeth gently nipped as Mello started to suck hard on his neck. _What is he trying to accomplish? Wait… I understand now. He is marking me as his own. Why is he being this possessive?_

Before he could analyze the issue further, he felt Mello push past his sweet spot. Loudly moaning, he arched his back toward the other, his mind going blank again with pure white pleasure. He gripped the sheets with both of his hands, his lips parting as he panted. When Mello pushed harder and faster, causing the bed to slightly creek, Near felt his eyes close in pure pleasure. Starting to moan uncontrollably, he arched his back to the other, feeling the lips continuing to work on his porcelain neck.

"Mihael!" He gasped out, shutting his eyes as his legs swung back and forth with the bed. The sensitivity from his last rounds weren't helping as he started to moan the other's name a bit loudly, being at the other's mercy. "Mihael! Mihael!" He gasped, opening his eyes to look at the ceiling with a desperate and lustful look.

"Fuck, Nate." Near could hear Mello say, the rocking of the other's body making his own uncontrollable.

"Mihael…" The boy breathed, his senses overrunning every instinct. Arching his back into the other, he moaned loudly when he felt Mello push in even deeper. Muscles started to tense and clutch around the other's member, taking in every detail.

"Dammit, Nate." Mello held the other's hips, starting to pound in deeper into the other. He gave a small groan from his throat, a small smirk coming onto his lips as he noticed the other's reaction. Reaching over, he took the other's lips into his mouth.

Completely forgetting about Matt, Near shut his eyes tightly and kissed back the best he could, feeling vulnerable to the harsh tongue that was moving against him. He panted, spreading his legs farther so Mello could get in deeper. Feeling Mello fight for control in his mouth, he fought back eagerly, slowly becoming submissive to the other.

Mello almost pull out all the way but ram back inside the last second, making his head being thrown back, his eyes shutting tightly as he gasped. The air rushed into his lungs, feeling as if his lungs were on fire at the burning sensation. He couldn't think as he let out moan after moan escape his lips. "Mihael…" He whispered, trying his best to chant the coherent word as a mantra.

"Nate." The blond moaned, leaning over the other's withering body that shivering with pleasure. The smirk never left his face. "I want you to answer me something."

"Ah… hah!" He arched his back when he felt Mello continuing to hit the spot on after every ram of his hips.

"Do you actually like us?"

"Yes!" Near moaned, not thinking twice about answering the question. Weakly, he wrapped his arms around the other, followed by his legs around the tan waist, lips panting by the shell of an ear.

"Nate…" Mello shivered at the action, pushing in farther and deeper. He was getting close to climaxing, his heavy panting and breathing becoming too quick.

"Mihael!" A breathy moan escaped from the other, pale limbs wrapping tighter around the older body.

_I am at his mercy._

"Mm… I hate you, I hate you so much." The chocoholic answered, not holding back his thrusting anymore.

_Does that mean he is at my mercy as well? Is that even possible?_

As the words registered, Near let out another loud moan. Wrapping his limbs, he gave a small pant, a small smirk coming onto his features, his adrenalin levels running high as he arched his back one last time. "I know, ah, Mihael!" He arched his back wrapping his arms and legs tighter, moaning Mello's real name. Soon, he climaxed all over his stomach and lose button up shirt, tightening his walls around Mello. Near groaned lightly when Mello pushed in deep inside him again, filling him inside with more semen.

"Hah…" His older adoptive brother breathed, closing his eyes as the post-orgasm feelings hit.

"…" The white-haired one also panted, releasing Mello from his limbs that were snaked around the other.

Mello took the chance to remove himself from the body below him.

"That was interesting." A voice came from Near's left and Mello's right, both knowing exactly who it was.

"I thought you could sleep through everything, asshole." Lips turn into a small frown, the panting continuing.

"I can, but not the bed creaking, a loud moaning in my ear, and Near's body next to me actually shifting."

"Whatever."

Matt gave a small smile.

"Take those fucking goggles off, I can't tell at times if you have your damn eyes open or not."

"Alright, alright. Mels, calm down." He smiled a bit more. Reaching up, he moved the strap over his head, placing the orange eyewear on the nightstand next to them.

Catching his breath slightly, Near gave a small sigh of relief. His entire body was relaxed and for once, he felt no thoughts enter his mind. Shifting a bit more, he moaned slightly at the droplets that overflowed out him. Embarrassment was written all over his face as he didn't fight to keep his emotions in check, pink cheeks remaining as a result. Moving again, Near closed his gray eyes, relaxing into the bed that smelled like cologne, cigarettes, now Mello, and a hint of chocolate. A small smile twitched on his lips at the reaction.

"Is that a hickey?"

Mello lied back down in his spot, looking over at Matt that was analyzing them. "Yeah, what about it?"

Matt gave a small smile, shaking his head slightly. "Nothing, Mels. I get it, I should back off too, right?"

"Idiot, the message isn't for you. You know who it's for."

"Who is it for?" Mumbled the youngest brother that was in the middle.

"Linda." Matt answered, knowing exactly what Mello meant.

"Mmm…" Near responded, his entire body wanting to rest. His mind kept thinking, though, as he thought about Beyond's messages. _I have the thought there of what the nail is, but for some reason, I cannot think of the true answer. Perhaps it is because of all of this stimulation? I am rather tired and I do wish to sleep…_

"Hey Mels, would you like to go on a round with me?"

"No, I'm tired."

"Near, wanna?"

"No, I am also tired." Near responded sleepily, knowing that his body was exhausted.

"Just use your hand." Mello suggested.

"I'm too lazy."

"That makes no fucking sense."

"It feels better when one of you do it."

"I'm about to shove you off the fucking bed, you pervert."

"You are also the pervert, Mello. You want me to come to both of you only in my shirt and socks." Near smirked a bit at the reply that was thrown in the blonde's direction.

"Burn, Mels." Matt whispered.

"You're dead tomorrow."

"…"

"Mihael Keehl… Mail Jeevas." Near whispered to himself.

"What about them?" Mello asked, wondering what the other said.

"They start with the same letter as our legal names…"

"Mello, I think you screwed him too hard."

"The fuck?"

"I mean, when we do it, I sometimes make you forget your own name. Maybe instead of forgetting his own name, he's all confused or slow at processing." The oldest reasoned.

"…" There was a hand that reached out to shove a shoulder. Near kept his eyes closed, trying to think of a coherent thought that made sense, but none was coming to him. His thought process was rather slow as a gentle smile came onto his face. "Mihael… Mail… They're unique and intriguing names."

"Near, go to sleep." Mello commanded.

"You broke him."

"I didn't fucking break him."

"Mmm… Mihael." Near mumbled, his consciousness slowly drifting away. "There is no need to worry about Linda, I do not like her that way."

"That's cute." Matt commented.

"Shut up, Matt. Near, go to fucking sleep."

"Mihael is about power… Mail does not care about anything because nothing catches his interest."

"Near, the fuck?"

"I wonder if we ask him something if he'll answer."

There was a silence, then a question surfaced.

"Nate… what do you think about dating criminals?" Matt asked, knowing that Mello wouldn't because of his pride.

"I do not mind it." Near mumbled, sleep overtaking him.

"You sure?"

"I am positive."

"Do you like one of us more than the other?" Matt asked again, knowing exactly what was on the blond's mind.

"No."

"At school and in public, do you want to keep this relationship hidden or out in the open?"

"I do not care either way, but I am aware that one or both of you wants to keep this relationship quiet, which I do not mind."

There was more silence.

"Nate, I want you to come to both of us if you have a problem with anything, got it?" Matt spoke again for both he and Mello. "We don't want secrets or anything. I know that's not your forte or whatever, but that's how relationships work. We want you to come to us. I won't see it as a sign of weakness and neither will Mihael, even though he'll treat the situation like he is. He also has–ow! Hey!"

"Shut up you fucker."

"Fine, fine, you get the point."

"I do." Near shifted a bit more, wanting to sleep.

"Are you going to keep staring?" Matt asked towards Mello.

Near felt like opening his eyes to glare at one of them, but his eyelids felt too heavy. He felt heat rise to his cheeks, knowing that his body was fully exposed. "…"

"Shut up."

"What was he saying earlier? Oh, right. '_Oh, Mihael! Mihael! Ah, Mihael!_'" Matt teased the other, a smile reflecting the tone of his voice.

"Matt." Mello warned.

Near felt his cheeks turn red at that as a small frown tugged at his lips. He kept his eyes closed even though he now wanted to open them.

"You seemed to also be enjoying yourself. '_Oh, Nate! Nate! Nate!_'"

"You're having a fucking funeral tomorrow, you fucker."

Near felt a small ghostly smile twitch at the words. Knowing how to get at the other, he shifted his body to the right, laying on it as he cuddled into Mello's chest. Pretending he was asleep, he lightly breathed, waiting for both of their reactions.

"That's cold."

"He's asleep, idiot."

"I doubt it."

"Let's just go to sleep, we can discuss this in the morning or something."

"Wait, what time is it?"

"Don't know, don't care. I'm too tired."

"I should get up and play that game…"

"Matt, go the fuck to sleep. If I wake up to those fucking noises or whatnot, then I'll speed up your funeral for tonight."

"Fine, fine."

Near felt an arm wrap around his body, which rested upon his back after a chest was moved in front of him. His lips wanted to twitch into a smile again, but he held back from it. Instead, he kept listening to both of them.

"Hey…" Matt started, shifting his body and pushing it past Near's back a bit. "Mello, mind if I ask you something?"

"What is it? I want to sleep."

"I heard you hate him, is that true?"

"…" Mello stayed quiet, thinking about the answer.

Near kept his breathing calm, knowing that the answer was one that he wanted to hear. He wasn't going to let the opportunity slip. _I wonder what his answer will be. He did mention that before, but did he mean it? If he knew I was awake, then he would not answer. I wonder if he will answer only to Matt and if so, under what circumstances. Will he slowly open up to me? Do I have to start opening up first with the feelings and thought process or will he do it first? I wonder how these two started their relationship in the first place at the Wammy House._

"No, I don't. Don't you dare fucking tell him that, Matt, you got that?"

"Loud and clear. I just wanted to know if I needed to be worried or not."

"Worried? What for?"

"I don't know. If you wanted to hurt Linda or that girl that stares at me during gym class after lunch."

"You mean that idiot fucking bitch? Is there a reason why I should?"

"Nope."

"You better not fucking think she's cute." Mello's voice rose slightly, anger coating it.

"Well…" Matt started innocently, the word having a certain tone to it.

"Matt."

"I'm kidding."

"You better."

"I have another question."

"What now?"

"Your eyes can't stop following him around. I'm a bit jealous at that, you know." He had a small and playful tone. "Do you find him that attractive when he's like this? Sleeping, vulnerable, all dirty?"

"What type of fucking question is that? If you're beating around the bush, then just ask what you really want, Matt. You know I don't hide anything from you."

"Fine, do you find him hot like that? By 'that' I mean being submissive, moaning your name, begging for more, being all dirty with–"

"I get it."

"Well, you said to flat out ask."

"Yeah, I do. I'll like it tomorrow when we're at school and he's limping around in front of Linda. Mostly when she notices his hickey. I want her to back off and once she knows he's gay, then she will. Or whatever he is."

"Well, you got that covered. He's taken by two men."

"Yeah…" Near could hear the other slowly smiling. "Matt, I won't tell him this, but that girl does make me angry at times. I want to just take Near and kiss him in front of her so she can take the damn hint. To be honest, I wouldn't mind doing it in a classroom like your stunt with the bathroom."

"…I didn't know if he actually was. When I saw him… I lost it, sort of. When we were finished, he got all worried, thinking that I cheated on you. He treated me like an object, which is understandable, because apparently I have 'Mello's bitch' written in my forehead, but he does show he cares in his own little weird Near way."

"Do you think he notices our jealousy toward that girl?"

"Nope. Not unless if he's listening to us right now."

It took a lot not to react. Near kept his breathing steady, continuing to listen to the word exchange from both of them.

"Right now I wanted to tie him up and take him that way. He sounds cute when he begs."

He fought not to frown and give his position away.

"Like that one time you tied me up? Do you have a fetish for that stuff?"

"You're a lazy fuck that barely does anything."

"That was still a nice present."

"Do you think he's a masochist?"

"I…" Matt started, pausing to think about it. "Why? Is it because he silently takes your abuse and the abuse of peers at school?"

"Yeah."

"He might be. I mean, who knows what goes on in his little mind. For all we know, he can have a secret place we don't know about, have dolls nailed to the walls that are voodoo or whatever that have our names written on it or something."

_The dolls!_

Near opened his eyes at the sentence, not being able to hold back. Sitting up, he winced slightly at the sensation of his lower region.

"The fuck?"

"Near, what's wrong?"

Ignoring them both, he got out of bed. His dark eyes slightly widened as his legs gave out under him. A small frown replaced his features as he struggled to get up, holding onto the bed for support. Walking slowly and cautiously to the closet where Mello hid the items before, he grabbed the three items. Ignoring the matches and notebook, he stared at the nail that was covered. Noticing the white powder-like substance covering the nail, dull eyes turned over to the other two that were sitting up on the bed, bright green and bright blue eyes staring with curiosity, wonder, and worry.

Staring back at the nail that was between his fingers, the point going into his thumb while the dull side stayed on his index finger, he looked down at the box of matches. Almost instantly, the thought clicked in his head.

"No, he's not that fucking stupid, is he?" Mello asked, disbelief at realizing what the nail and matches meant.

Matt raised a brow, but said nothing, wondering what the other two concluded from both items.

"To surpass L, he will do anything."

"…" Mello stayed quiet, a small frown on his face.

"What?" Matt asked, crossing his arms a bit. "I don't get it."

"We just found Beyond's next victim." The blond responded, staring at the nail in Near's hands.

"Who?"

"…" Near stayed quiet, continuing to look at the nail, as if it would answer his silent question.

"Great." Mello said sarcastically, cerulean eyes rolling slightly.

"…" Matt stayed quiet, wondering what they were concluding from a nail and matches. He stared at Mello when he spoke and then back at Near, knowing that the younger one would answer his question.

"Beyond Birthday will commit suicide in room 404 by setting himself on fire."


	8. Protagonist

"Nia? Why are you limping?"

"Yeah, _Near_, why _are_ you limping?"

There was a small look of annoyance on the white-haired male's face. He said nothing, bringing up a hand to slowly start twirling a piece of hair, looking from cerulean eyes to brown, to orange ones that were concentrating on a game.

"Nia?" Linda stared at him, blinking a bit. "Did you hurt yourself somewhere? Did Mello push you down?"

At that, Mello gave a small frown. Near felt a small tug at his lips, but he held it back. Shaking his head, he continued to look at the girl. "No, he did not physically harm me. I am limping because of an activity I tried."

"Oh?" The girl seemed to brighten up at that, a huge smile on her features. "You _tried_ something? Was it fun?"

"Yes, quite fun." Near answered, looking elsewhere.

"Nia…" Linda started, staring at the other's neck. A blush came onto her features as she quickly jumped to the conclusion that was in front of her. "Is that a hickey?"

Gray eyes looked over calmly while he resisted touching at the skin that had been bruised and marked. _This is what Mello wanted. This is what he wanted to tell Linda indirectly. I'm not hers, I'm his. How fascinating… he really is jealous of my only friend, isn't he?_

"…" Mello refrained from speaking, but gray irises could analyze the look. _Mello wants me to answer. He wants to know what my answer will be. Fine then, Mello. I understand your game and jealousy even though Matt seems like he doesn't care, he does too, doesn't he? Of course he does, it involves both you and I._

Before Linda could speak again, the youngest out of all three started to speak. "Linda, I'm taken."

Chocolate brown eyes widened as her mouth slightly opened with shock. A pained look flashed through her eyes, but she managed a smile through the invisible stab in the heart. "You are, Near? I'm happy for you."

"Yes, I am." He repeated, knowing that the shock would take a while to sink in.

"Is she pretty?" Linda asked like a girl, wanting all the details of the other's love life.

If it was one thing that Near disliked doing was lying when it wasn't necessary. He thought about what the other two wanted in a few seconds and quickly made up his mind when he gave an answer. "Yes, they both are very attractive."

The photographer student seemed to have been taken aback by the other's comment. Her eyes went wide again with a horror starting to cover her features, but she pushed through it, giving a small smile. "Wait, what, Nia? Did you say 'they?'"

"Yes, 'they.'" Near repeated, knowing where this conversation was going. He took a note of blue eyes slightly widening and fingers pausing on the game system.

"You mean… two people?" Linda asked again, trying to make sure that she was concluding the same thing.

"Yes, Linda. I am in a romantic relationship with two people."

A blush slowly covered her features as she looked at him in disbelief. "Who are the lucky two girls?"

_She doesn't quit, does she? Does she want to be my support system? Is she that curious? For now, she isn't saying anything about it, but I can see through her eyes. This must be real hard on her. Then again, I got together with two people in a matter of days. I see her point._

"Nia?" She asked again, giving a small and gentle smile that pulled him out of his thoughts.

"They are both male, Linda. Neither of them are female." Near shifted his eyes a bit to look at sky blue eyes, then over to the fingers that stopped in their tracks completely before resuming. Staring back into her eyes, he awaited for the reaction he knew would come. _Humans are typical and Linda is no exception. No, everybody has their beliefs and this isn't any different._

"Men?" Linda blinked a bit, looking more disbelief. "What do you mean men? Are you serious?"

The boy wondered how to answer her, but noticed that Mello's and Matt's eyes were on him now. Both of their attention was fully on him and the game console and chocolate bar were completely forgotten. He turned his eyes back at Linda, noticing that she didn't even notice what his body language was portraying. "Yes." He answered the first and last question, not wanting to respond to the rhetorical question in the middle.

"Near…" The photographer started, slowly frowning as she crossed her arms. "Did they force you into it?"

_There it is, the common misconception of homosexuals in the twenty-first century. I wonder how much knowledge she knows about the subject before blindly following other people's opinions._ "No, Linda. It was completely consensual. One of them is older than me by a year, the other is older, but only by two years. Does that bother you?"

"It does, Near…" She shook her head in disbelief, turning around to face Mello. "Did you know about this? Isn't it shocking? Aren't you going to do anything for your brother?"

"He can do what he wants." Mello frowned a bit, not wanting to get into the situation. "I'm not his master."

Shaking her head again, she turned over to stare at Matt this time. "What do you think about this?"

"…" Matt remained quiet, shifting his eyes from Mello to Linda. He gave a small shrug. "It really isn't my problem either."

"He's your younger brother…" Linda trailed off, disbelief throughout her features.

"Linda, enough." Near spoke up, starting to get annoyed with the situation. His monotone tone gave no sign of it as it remained neutral. "I am together with two males, Linda. I am happy with them and I would like for you to be supportive instead of the antagonist."

"…" She remained quiet, looking from Near to Mello, Mello to Matt, then Matt to Near. A small sigh escaped her lips, then she gave a small smile. "Okay. I'm sorry, but I was raised to think that it was wrong."

"Yes, culture does tend to do that." Near spoke, knowing exactly where she was coming from. He was a bit grateful that she was pushing her differences aside.

While the four stood there in awkward silence, the noise rang through the four pair of their ears. The students of the school started to move inside when a voice called out to the three that were following the crowd.

"Boys!"

All four individuals turned around to meet a pair of black eyes that belonged to an individual with a hunch back, white shirt, faded jeans, and with pair of rings under his eyes that matched his black spikey hair.

"Your classes are dismissed for the day, I've got it taken care of." L commented.

"I'll see you three later." Linda smiled a bit, walking into the school with a discomforted look on her features.

The three remained quiet as they got closer to L, but it was Mello who spoke up for the two quiet brothers. "What is it?"

"It's wise not to talk in a public place." L answered, walking away. "However, I want to see what you three have found out."

Mello gave a small frown at the rule, but followed. Out of habit, he took a piece off of the neglected chocolate.

Soon, the trio followed their adoptive step-father into a building that the school provided. It was the same interrogation-like room they were in last time with Wedy. Closing the door behind him, L's dark eyes stared at the cameras before turning his attention to the three. "The cameras and microphones are off, as I've requested."

"…" Near reached up to twirl a piece of hair, turning his attention to the table that had four seats.

"Sit, sit." L motioned for them, a slightly playful tone in his command.

Matt complied, staring at the turned off device in his hands. Mello sat next to him and Near followed in suit.

"Alright…" L said, reaching over to take his signature pose in front of them. "Now, what have you all concluded?"

"Are you going to be secretive for a reason?" Mello asked, turning his attention to the dark corner of the room. "I know someone's there."

"Very perceptive." L commented, a small smile on his face as his thumb came up, lightly biting at the skin. "Watari, go ahead and show yourself."

A man that was in a suit slowly came out with a small smile on his face. He took off the hat that was on top of his head and put it over his chest, bowing slightly to them. "Good morning."

They all immediately knew who he was. Their faces remained quiet and void of shock, knowing that L was staring at them intently behind those black eyes. He kept biting as his finger innocently.

"Now, what can you tell me about Beyond Birthday?"

"What can you tell us about him?" Mello countered, nudging his head toward Watari.

"He's an assistant of mine. Watari used to be the official butler of the Lawliet family."

"What do you mean by 'used to be?'"

"That's not of importance. Are you avoiding the question on purpose?" L shifted his eyes up, the playfulness behind his eyes leaving.

"No, we're not, but we found a bit on you." Mello answered, his body shifting a bit.

Matt and Near immediately knew that out of all of them, it was the hardest for the blond to say that about his own father – his idol and mentor.

"Have you?" L asked, blinking a bit.

"Yeah, we have." Matt spoke up for his best friend. "We know you used to like this guy by the name of Light Yagami. It was hard, but we found him at the public prison. He was convicted by you for the serial murders that looked like suicides. They were all criminals and we know that you were in a relationship in college with the guy."

"…" L's face completely darkened at the statements.

"Mind if we interrogate you?" The redhead asked, leaning back. Usually, he wouldn't care about any type of situation, but he could tell how Mello was uncomfortable by this.

"No, go right ahead."

"Did you stay quiet instead of speaking against your own parents to defend Beyond Birthday?" Near asked, sitting up a bit. He kept twirling a lock of hair around his finger.

"I stayed quiet, yes."

"Are you disgusted by incest?" Near asked another question, knowing that this topic would be a sensitive one for all of them.

"…" L thought about the answer, staring at his children in the eyes. Raven black eyes shifted from blue to gray to green. "Yes, I dislike it very much."

That was an invisible arrow to Mello's heart.

"Did your parents abuse him?"

Gray, black, and green eyes turned to the source of the voice. They were all slightly surprised that it was the quiet blond that finally spoke up.

"I don't believe so." L answered.

"Physically?" Near began.

"Or mentally?" Mello finished.

At this, L had to pause slightly before answering. He leaned his body forward a bit, biting the nail on his finger. "Physically, he was not abused. Mentally, he was abused. I should have been more specific."

Before Near could ask another question, Mello spoke up, leaning forward into the table towards L. "Did he come to you for help?"

L's expression seemed to change slightly to a grave one, but he kept his appearance up. "Yes, he did. I declined."

The sentence made Matt shift in the corner a bit, staring at the black game console in front of him. His lips gently twitched to a bigger frown than it already was.

"…" Near said nothing, letting Mello take charge and lead.

"What did he think about this boyfriend you had? Mr. Light Yagami." Mello asked again, determination in his eyes as he pushed his own emotions toward his father away from his heart.

"Beyond showed no concern," He began, "Beyond was the type of individual that didn't let anything get to him on the outside. He always did what he wanted when he wanted. Beyond introduced Light and I when we were in college. At times, though, it seemed as if I didn't matter at all. Even though it's not on file because there is no evidence of this happening, I had my reasons and suspicions when Beyond would leave in the middle of parties. It was all according to eye-witnesses, of course. I was never there, but Sayu Yagami, Light's sister, commented on how people from the party were always sick. She never realized it until later on, but all those parties had a connection. They all had the common denominator of Beyond Birthday."

"That's probably because he wanted your attention or he was planning for something bigger." Mello pointed out.

"Yes, I do believe so, but then the 'suicides' started to come up." L looked elsewhere, remembering the past. "I was almost graduating with my bachelor's in psychology, minors in sociology and criminal justice. I never finished because the police called upon me to start investigating. You see, it was two options. Either let the murderer keep murdering people or quit school. I have never gone back to get my college education and now I'm known in America and Britain for my investigating skills even though I don't physically do anything unless if it's necessary." L looked up with his dull black eyes.

Near stayed quiet, watching Mello's eyes from his position in his chair. L continued.

"They were all criminals, yes. However, I do not believe that a human being should take justice into their own hands and murder them. There is no closure there. With the due process, chain of command, and court system, everything is too slow, yes, but Lady Justice is blind. She needs time to get from case to case even though sometimes these criminals know how to beat the system. I am not religious nor do I believe in what happens for a reason does, but if each human would take justice into their own hands, that would cause chaos…" L kept rambling, continuing to bite on his nail. "What I am trying to say is… Light is nothing but a killer. There was no sense of justice in his killings nor Beyond's even though I have a huge bias that doesn't let me see the facts for what they truly are."

"You loved him." Mello spoke up, continuing to look at their father in the eyes.

"Perhaps." L seemed a bit saddened, then looked up. "What is love, exactly, children? If you ask a psychologist, an anthropologist, sociologist, biologist, or a chemist, they will all answer different answers. It's either bonding, a way of life, we are social creatures, the way we reproduce, or the way our brain gives us pleasure for doing something right. There is no real answer to love. The sciences always point to something different, depending who you ask. If you were to ask me personally, then I would say that I had a phase of where I bonded with a man, tried the relationship, and it ended up in failure and heartbreak. I know the science behind it, but I am still a human being…"

"…Then what is your answer?" Near spoke up, noticing his father's pain.

"I am merely a man in denial." L gave a small smile. "I do not think about it since it's too painful and there are criminals to catch out there. I don't have time to think and dwell on the feelings. This is better, children. I bring closure while solving cases that nobody does."

"Yet you sacrifice your heart and love." Matt answered, finally interested on what L was saying.

"Yes, that is correct. It seems we have gotten off topic, children. May we go back to the topic at hand?"

A tanned hand reached out and grabbed a pale one. Black eyes slightly widened at the foreign touch and looked up to meet cerulean crystal blue eyes. "We're your children, dad. There is no need to bear the pain alone; we're all here for you."

"…" L tried to pull his hand back, but felt the tightened grip on it.

"You always have trouble bonding with us, but look at you. This is all you had to do, L."

"Let's get back to the case at hand." Their father sounded distant, his voice a bit cold.

Mello's lips turned into a frown, but he let go of his father's hand. "Fine, whatever."

"I appreciate your concern, but this is not the time or place for it. We may discuss this later."

"When?" Matt spoke up, staring at L. "You always lie to criminals, why would lying to your children be any different? You dislike what we are, don't you?"

L shifted his attention over to the gamer, feeling a bit uneasy to the other's attention. He knew perfectly well that his son barely cared about him and now he was speaking up his opinion and his emotions. He gave an answer. "Later. I'll make time and that is not necessarily true."

"Then what is?" Mello calmly asked.

"Matt, Mello, Near," L started calmly. "My job is to hunt the monsters of the world. I do not have time to think about my personal problems as much." He paused, looking at any of them to see if they would speak up. When they didn't, he continued, "As a detective, I know why you three are behaving this way and I know this is not the answer you want to hear. However, as a father, I'm thinking about this differently and it's difficult. I keep asking where I went wrong, why this is happening, and if this is right."

"Is it the factor that we are breaking the law?" Near asked, twirling his hair calmly. "You break the law too, don't you?"

L's lips gave a small twitch. "Why would you believe that?"

"Your file." Matt answered. "It was hard to find, but I found a contact that you messaged years back. I messaged him from my laptop and he automatically thought it was you. He goes by the name of Aiber, does it ring a bell?"

"…" L looked from one to the other, a small frown on his face.

"Aiber and Wedy are criminals." Matt gave a small shrug. "It's cool, though. We know that Lady Justice has too much time on her hands, right?" He didn't mean to mock even though it sounded that way.

The father remained silent before giving a small nod. "Yes, that is what I said, in a way. I'll have to check my contacts again to see where that file is."

"I already wiped it for you."

"…"

"We won't tell." The blond spoke, staring at his father. "We know that out of all of here, that sometimes we need people to do things for us. It won't always be under the law for whatever reason. I know how it is, L."

"Yes, I am aware of what you do, Mello." L looked up.

Instead of looking shocked, there was a small smile from his adoptive son. "Only from the best do I learn."

"I won't ask how you acquire that information and I'll make a note of it. If you three can get pass my security measures, then there is a flaw somewhere. Now, are you finished interrogating me or may I know what you three have found on Beyond Birthday? I know that you three went to the university."

Near immediately knew that it was the man in the suit that told L everything. "We may go back to the topic."

"What have you found?"

"Other than what you have told us, nothing much. He has a clean record, but he did tease Sayu Yagami in the café she works at the other day. We have also found his fourth victim."

L's eyes slightly seemed to brighten up at that. "You have?"

"Yes, we have." Mello corrected him. "The fourth victim is male, has the initials B.B., and he will burn the victim alive."

"Is he here?"

"Yes, he is, L. His victim is Beyond Birthday himself. He's going to commit suicide in room 404 at the university."

At that, L went dead silent.

"Even though we have found out about his fourth victim, where it'll be, and how, we don't know when. We do know that he's going to finish what he started in Los Angeles."

"I'll explain it to all three of you." L started, staring at them. "You three remember the Wammy's House, correct?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Mello seemed a bit confused by the change of topic.

"Roger always pushed students at the home to do the very best on exams and among other things, correct?" L didn't wait for any of the three to answer. "You see, I was part of that orphanage as well. Beyond, A, and I did not always have the parents that we did. They died in a tragic accident, but what I can tell you is that I was the best out of the three. Wammy himself took us all in and because I was the oldest one, I accepted. Of course I was young at the time, but they were kind enough to give me the decision."

Near wondered the timeline and wondered what was off about what L was saying, but remained quiet.

"A and Beyond were my true successors, you see. I am not simply a detective, children." L paused a bit, as if battling the choices that were running through his head. After a few seconds, he made up his mind and continued. "You three, or at least two," He turned his attention from Mello to Near. "Have heard of the detectives Eraldo Coil and Danuve, yes?"

"Yeah, we know about them." Mello answered.

"You are speaking to the man behind those two detectives."

Green, blue, and gray eyes slightly widened at the confession; however, L continued on as if the three didn't react.

"I won't reveal who was who, but that detective was one in the same. Now, my name, 'L,' is becoming famous among the law enforcement community. Wammy's House is an organization that takes orphans and gives them a purpose, you see. It is to challenge their intellect, make them grow, and soon, they'll take over my profession as my successors. The name 'L,' the detective, will live on throughout generations in case anything happens to me."

"That's…" Mello started, finding disbelief.

L ignored it and kept speaking. "Matt, you weren't in line to be my successor. Mello, Near, you two were. Beyond and A were. A did commit suicide when the family shunned him, yes, but there was also another cause. He committed suicide because he couldn't handle the pressure of studying hard. Beyond and A were competing for the title as well."

"The mentality that has…" Mello tried to comment, his voice dying.

"Yes, I am aware. I did not want them together and I pushed both of them to the limit for justice."

"Is that why you adopted us? When we were fifteen years of age, we can leave that orphanage, couldn't we?"

"Yes, but I also adopted you because I wanted children of my own. You see, having to find a partner and then reproducing is too difficult. I don't have the time for it."

"You're lying." Near spoke up, a small frown on his features as he stared L dead in the eye. "This isn't you and this isn't adding up. If you believe that we are going to believe more of your words, then you're wrong." He twirled his hair, daring the other to make a move.

"…" L remained quiet, listening to his son's words.

"No, Near, he's this cold to the people he dislikes most." Mello concluded, knowing that the small boy was finally feeling the pain.

"There may be some truth to that, yes, but I also have my version of events."

"You're lying to yourself." Near denied Mello's conclusion completely, continuing to look at his father in his eyes. "Is this what you say to yourself every day about the mistakes you've caused? Do you blame yourself, L?"

"I do not blame myself for anything."

"…You are." Near commented. "If you were that smart in college, then why don't you admit it to yourself?"

L remained silent, then shifted a bit in his seat. "…Near, I am aware of my situation. I am aware that this is the 'locus of control' in personal psychology. I am aware that I am blaming myself for the actions that were out of control, but that does stop the feelings from being the way they are. A's suicide was not my problem or Beyond's decision to become a criminal, but… it's different when experiencing it than when telling yourself over and over again that your feelings are due to psychology. I am human and this is my error. Yes, knowledge is power, but when dealing with your own emotions, there is too much to dwell on. I fight the game of 'what if' everyday, yes. I do not want to make the same mistake with you three and this is why I brought you onto the case and why I keep being hesitant that you three will be in a romantic or sexual relationship if you are not already."

"L, if you know what you're doing, then let us help you." Mello frowned a bit, leaning over slightly.

"I need to do this alone." L looked up, a small smile on his face. "What would a good detective be if he can't face his own problems?"

"Fine…" Mello held back a comment.

"You three have done good work, but I want you three to stay out of this investigation, now."

"What? Why?" The blond looked appalled.

"Beyond is starting to lose control. I do not want you three to be in the crossfire if it does come to that."

"Then may we ask about Light Yagami as your children?" Near countered.

"I do not wish to speak about the incident." L commented, shifting to get up, but a hand reached out to grab his hand. Looking at Mello, he gave a slightly questioning look. "Yes?"

"You've used us, we get it. L, we don't want you to face Beyond alone. Let us help you."

L remained silent, staring at his son's dangerous blue eyes. "You wish to help?"

"Matt and I are right behind you."

"I do not have contacts, but I believe that you told us three to stick together." Near chipped in, using L's words against him.

"I see." L started, then gave a small nod. "Very well, then. I don't mind if you three help me, but as a precaution, do be very cautious with Beyond. I don't want to end up with three more victims. Be on the look-out for him trying to separate one of you from the three."

"You got it." Mello replied.

"I'll see you three later, then." L stood up, motioning for his butler to follow. Pausing at the door while reaching at the knob, he turned around and gave a small smile. "I may not be comfortable with you three together in a romantic or sexual type of relationship, but I do enjoy seeing you three follow in my footsteps. If it's one way or another, I am proud of you three." With that, he left with Watari behind him.

"…" Mello was dead silent as he watched his father leave. "He…" The blond started, cerulean eyes wide.

"He appreciates our detective skills." Near stood up, looking over at the other two while pale digits started to twirl locks of hair. "What would be our next step in action?"

"Let's go to the prison." Blue eyes looked up into gray, a determined look behind them. "I want to get Light Yagami's side of the story. He may know a few things about Beyond that L doesn't."

"We're going to ditch school again?" The young white-haired boy asked, a small face of displeasure appearing on his face.

"Yeah, we're going."

"…" Matt silently agreed, ready to follow the other.

Near also said nothing, knowing that his protest would be unheard.

Following the other two, he felt a bit uncomfortable again. It was against his nature and morals. He felt as if he was breaking a huge taboo, but kept following the redhead and blond.

Green eyes noticed a car and immediately halted, staring at the vehicle before the trio could get at the bus stop.

"Mels, wait." Matt commanded, staring in awe at the vehicle.

Black and gray sneakers also stopped, cerulean and blue eyes looking over at the item that had caught the gamer's attention.

"Matt…" Mello warned, a small frown on his face as he caught on what the other was saying.

"It's beautiful." Matt replied, continuing to look at the red car. "Mello, you know the make and model of this car?"

"Isn't it the one you always look for in magazines? There's no time, let's go before the school police shows up or something."

"…" Matt remained silent, staring at the vehicle. His fingers slightly twitched at his sides. "Let's take this car. I don't want to take the bus."

Mello gave a small frown. "Matt, do you know what the crime sentence is for stealing a car?"

"It's not 'stealing,' Mels, it's 'borrowing.' I'll return it back, promise."

"No."

"I'm not taking the bus." He shifted his eyes toward the other, a small smile on his face. "That's so boring and this is fun. I want to test ride this car, at least."

Near shifted his eyes from one to the other, wondering if the demeanor from both of them was natural. He could tell that Matt was fully interested. _He isn't bluffing, I know that for sure. He's interested in the car better than pleasing Mello? That's interesting. I wonder… does he like the car itself that much or will he find the thrill in taking the car better?_

"No."

"I'll see you at the prison, then."

"…" Mello frowned at his order being disobeyed, but gave a small sigh, knowing that the red gamer wouldn't give up. "Does this thing have a license plate?"

Matt didn't even blink as he gave the answer. "No. It's all ours."

"That isn't how it works." Near commented, knowing that it would be ignored.

"It does now." Matt gave a cocky smile. "Excuse me." He walked over to the driver's seat, starting to play with the door.

"Look out for anyone." Mello pocketed his hands in his navy pant pockets and shifted his eyes around, noticing that Matt was acting natural by breaking into the vehicle.

Within a minute, Matt had casually opened the door and slipped his body inside. Reaching over, he unlocked the other door and gave a small smile. Turning his attention back to the steering wheel, his hands slightly shook. Moving his body, he reached under the dashboard.

"Have you been reading books on this lately?" Mello asked, shifting the seat forward and motioning for Near to get behind it. "What are we going to do about the plates?"

"Hm?" Matt was barely listening when he kept playing with the wires.

Near could tell that the other was distracted and that he hadn't thought about this through. Slipping behind the passenger seat, he noticed a wrench. Looking over at the car in front of them, Near grabbed the item and held it out toward Mello.

"Oh? Assisting a criminal?" The blond gave a small smirk.

"I am already an accessory. Even though another charge would be used against me, I rather choose the side of not getting caught."

"How sly." Looking around, the older adoptive brother walked to the vehicle in front, starting to work on the plates.

"Almost done." Matt muttered to nobody in particular.

Gray eyes watched clearly how they both worked. Soon, the plates were off from the other car as Mello got behind the current one. Matt seemed to have been checking a few things as the motor purred to life.

"There we go, baby." He spoke intimately to the inanimate object.

"…" _Is he talking to it as if it's a human being? I wonder, if Mello heard, would he get jealous? I am slightly, now that I'm thinking about it… No, how stupid. This object cannot return his feelings and it will be returned later._

"We're good to go." Mello shoved his body inside, closing the creaky door. "Do you know how to drive?"

"Yeah, I should." Matt checked the rearview mirror, slowly adjusting it. Orange-tinted looked to the right and left, then poked his head out to look behind him. "You two ready?"

"These seatbelts are shit." Mello frowned when he tugged at the material.

Near's pale hand also tugged at it, but noticed that it didn't even budge. Knowing that the other was in the same condition due to the same appearance as the current one, he sat put. Bringing up his left leg, he started to twirl his hair as he looked out the window.

"That's why I dislike wearing one." The redhead shifted the gear of the vehicle, looking as he backed the car up.

"Hey!" A man's voice called out.

"Oh, fuck." Matt's eyes slightly widened at being caught. He quickly shifted the steering wheel to the right and eased on the gas slowly, trying to pull out of the parallel park. He looked up at the middle mirror that had the other, grateful that Mello said nothing.

"Get back here with my car!" The man yelled out again.

"No can do." Something snapped in the gamer as he shifted the car backward and forward with ease, pulling out of the parallel parking as the man barely touched the back of the car, giving it a small punch.

"Get back here!" The elderly man shook his wrist in the air, muttering a few curses under his breath as his grocery bags were in his left arm.

"I'll return it later, promise!" Matt smiled, a small chuckle escaping his features as he drove the car down the streets.

"You're an arrogant cocky bastard." Mello commented, a small smile on his features. Leaning over, the blond took the smoker's right cheek in his right hand, planting a small kiss on the left cheek.

"Thanks." Matt kept steering, the smile still there.

"You're high, aren't you?" Mello pulled back.

Near didn't need to be told when he stared at Matt's hands – they were shaking with adrenalin.

"Probably, but whatever. What's the address of where we're going?"

Mello pointed to a street, starting to give directions. Slowly, the smoker started to calm down. Meanwhile, Near stared with a bored expression out the window while twirling his hair. Even though there was adrenalin in all of them, they knew that the job at hand was more important. Before long, they were in front of a prison. The vehicle was parked in the public parking and they all got out.

The correction center stood high with a castle-like structure. There were towers on two corners and a fence that stretched on the outside, guarding it. Hesitant, Mello lead the other two, shoulders tense. However, once he saw the guard, he relaxed a bit.

"Neylon." Mello answered, staring at his ally.

"Mello?" The older man lowered his weapon, a shocked expression on his features. He had blond hair that reached his shoulders, glasses, pale skin, and the prison's uniform. "What are you doing here?"

"I want payback." The teenager replied, calmness throughout his features.

At this, the other seemed to tense up even though there was a weapon in his hand. "What? I already paid you, didn't I?"

"No, you didn't. That time we met was Jose's payment, not yours."

"Mello…" The guard named Neylon started to slightly tap his fingers against the weapon even though he had no intention of using it, eyes darting from the right to the left. "Alright, what do you want as payment?"

"I want to see a prisoner here. He owes me something, Jack. You might know him by the name Light Yagami."

"You mean the idiot that calls himself Kira?" Jack seemed a bit relieved at that, his shoulders relaxing. "Yeah, sure, I'll get you in. That's no problem at all. I know a few people in here that can help too. What about them?" He motioned over to Matt and Near.

"Them too. Get us passes or whatever fuck you all use for visitation purposes."

"Sure, boss." Jack gave a small nod, reaching to the radio that was on his left shoulder. Pressing the button, he spoke into it. "Jack to Jose, I need you at my spot for five minutes, come in."

An electronic voice came from the other line after there were two sounds of air breaking. "10-4."

Taking his fingers out from the communication device, he looked at Mello directly in the eye. "He's coming. How long would you like to visit him?"

"What's the maximum time we can be with him?"

"Since he is categorized as a serial killer, you will probably have to make it quick. I can try to get you one hour at most, but be ready in case I have to call you back."

"That's good enough."

A buff man walked over to the four; he had black hair and stood tall. "Mello." He automatically greeted.

"I'll bring you your visitor passes." Jack commanded, then looked at Jose. "I'll be back." With that, he disappeared through the door where Jose had emerged from minutes ago.

"You got it." Jose spoke, staring at Matt and Near, then he turned his attention to Mello. "So, how have you been?"

"Decent."

"I see you have a new…?"

"I'll tell you later."

"Sure, sure." Jose gave a small nod.

Near wondered what Mello had meant by that, but before he could analyze the situation any longer, Neylon had emerged through the door. Holding his hand out, he had three visitor's passes that were white and had names on them.

"Aliases. You were never here and I never gave them to you."

"Thanks." Mello took them, handing Matt and Near each one. "Are you going to show me where he is?"

"I'll do it." Jose spoke up. He motioned for the three to follow then walked into the building.

Through the corridor and a check where he gave an 'okay' signal to the guard on duty, Jose walked through with the three with ease. There was no suspicion aroused as the corridor opened up to a door. He knocked on the door to make sure there was no other guard on the other side, then grabbed the keys from his belt. Pushing one through the opening, he turned it and used his muscles to pull at the door – it creaked loudly. Jose walked inside while leading, ignoring the whistles that were directed toward Mello. "Here's down here."

Matt gave a small frown at the whistles, wanting to glare at the individuals that were reaching out of the bars. Near felt the same, but he kept his emotions from showing on his facial features. Mello, on the other hand, was ignoring and staring forward. He was rather calm, wanting to know how Light looked like.

"Here we are." Jose spoke, motioning over to the door.

"Who's there?" An unfamiliar voice reached all three ears. "I'm not interested in any visitors right now."

Matt perked up slightly at the name, almost recognizing it immediately. Mello held back a comment while Near wondered who visited the serial killer.

"You have a visitor. I'll give you an hour, you should be grateful." Jose frowned, walking away as he wore a scowl on his face.

"You might as well take them, I'm not interested."

Mello ignored the comment and walked straight inside the lion's den. A man that seemed to be in his mid-twenties sat in the middle of a room. Shackles wrapped themselves tightly around a pair of ankles and wrists. The male had light brown hair, brown eyes, and creamy skin. His frame was surrounded by an orange jumpsuit. He had no sneakers or socks.

"If you're here because of Mikami, I'm not interested. That goes for Takada's friends and Misa's."

Immediately, Near knew who Misa was. 'Misa Misa' was her stage name, but she was a pop star and actress. He had watched her on television a couple of times, but felt his mind hurt each time while watching her. After a while, he had given up. _It seemed as if Mello doesn't care about her at all; however, Matt always said she was cute. I wonder, what would he see in such an idiotic girl? Then again, it must be her assets. A female body goes a long way with the male's mind._

"We're not here because of those three." Mello took charge again when speaking.

"Then what do you want? Are you all a club or something?" Light gave a small smile at that – a brightness shining behind his eyes.

"Funny, but no. We want information on two individuals. If you provide that, then I'll make it worth your while."

"Oh? What could you possibly have that I would want?"

"We're L's sons." Mello confessed.

"L's…" Light's brown eyes slightly widened at the third word. His lips slowly gave a small smile at the new information. "I see. That _is_ interesting. Fine, but question for question."

"Deal. If you start lying, then we'll start lying too."

"Who says I'll lie?"

"You're human, that speaks for itself."

"…" Light's smile didn't disappear and it grew a bit wider with Mello's comment. "Fine, do you want to begin?"

"Did you really love L?" The question was brutal and it hit the core. The blond didn't hesitate to hit directly straight without beating around the bushes, knowing that every minute and second was valuable time.

"So this is how you interrogate." Light started, trying to buy more time while thinking about the question. "No, not really. I was experimenting with relationships and he happened to fall upon the category. What are your names?"

"Mello." Mello turned his sky blue eyes over to the gamer.

"Matt." The redhead spoke, not wanting to interact with more than he had to.

"Near." Near answered after, not letting Mello have a chance to give him a silent command with his eyes.

"Of course he would choose those names." Light shook his head a bit.

Mello held back a sarcastic comment that would defend his father. "What do you know about Beyond?"

Light's smile quickly turned into a small frown as he leaned his body forward. "That guy…" He trailed off before continuing. "Beyond knew how to manipulate people to his advantage. I believe that he was a psychology major like L was. He introduced us and in the end; he was never caught for his actions."

"You two collaborated?" Near didn't even wait for Light's question.

"Yes, we did. Nobody believed me. They all think that Beyond is a good man like L. It was Beyond who showed me what to do with corpses and kept asking what it felt like and other stupid questions. I wanted to get rid of the world from criminals, but he wanted to kill them for his sick little game!"

"What do you mean by 'showed?'" Mello asked.

"He told me what to do with the corpses. I tried it. I did most of the things he told me, knowing that the chances of getting caught would be decreased. In the end, almost everything he said was true."

The three adoptive brothers stayed quiet at that. They didn't look at each other to let the words sink in. _Beyond knew most of the material of the human body. What does this mean?_

"What minor was he?" Near asked.

Light gave a small smile at that. "You figured it out. His minor was human physiology."

"…" _Psychology is the scientific study of the human brain and its behavioral side. Human physiology is the scientific study of the bioelectrical, biochemical, physical, and mechanical side of the human body. He was planning this from the beginning, wasn't he? Since when? Is this his revenge for A as well?_

"You owe me three questions. Is Beyond here to claim his fourth victim? How is L? Did L mention me while you three were growing up with him?"

"Yes, he is." Mello didn't hold back the truth, knowing that Light was providing them with the same type of answers. "L's fine, as far as we can tell. He didn't mention you at all when we were growing up with him, Beyond was the one who gave us a hint. Did L share anything of his past with you?"

"He did, yes. After a while, L talked to me about it. I still remember the day clearly. He was a fool for thinking that I would fall for him like he did with me. A stupid fool." Light gave a small smirk.

Mello's hands gently made themselves into fists while Near tried to remain calm, a frown wanting to show on his features. Meanwhile, Matt was staring emotionlessly into the other's eyes, the comment hitting home.

"L told me about how his family died in a car accident. Beyond and A were already in an incest relationship, which I'm sure you all know. A man by the name Quillish Wammy took him in, but he was also the family butler or whatever by the alias 'Watari.' He was at the orphanage for some time before moving out and going elsewhere, but he was still funded by the guy. He told me about how Beyond always wanted to run away, how the hate was obvious, but he never did anything about it. He felt too weak and too sad. He tried, but knew that his intelligence wouldn't be able to help his brother that was possibly dealing with depression. Plus, he felt too disgusted to try and do anything. Then, years passed, and here we are. Now, does L seem sad?"

Knowing that it went back to the earlier question, Mello was ready for the question that came his way. "No, he's happy." Mello lied, a small smirk forming on his features as he looked Light in the eyes. "L moved on from you, if that's what you're beating around the bush for, Light. Even though he doesn't seem like the type to date women, he's happily married to a woman by the name Wedy."

"Wedy." Light gave a small frown at the name.

"Mello." A knock came from the door. "Time's up."

"Alright." Mello didn't look away from Light, a small smile on his face. "That was a good deal." He turned and motioned for Matt and Near to go first.

They did, but they knew what Mello's plan was. _He lied on purpose, but why? Did he know that Jose was going to pick us up at this time? What is Mello doing? Is that the missing piece that L didn't tell us about Watari? He is Wammy?_

The next sentence almost made him freeze in his tracks.

"I lied about the last part. I don't trust murderers and now I have something you truly desire. You shouldn't talk ill about my father. Goodbye."

"What?" Light asked in disbelief to the air. A frown was covered throughout his lips as he started struggling hard against the shackles. "Get back here! Mello! Get back here!"

Near's lips slightly tugged at a smile while the four retraced their steps back to the outside. He watched as Mello only waved a goodbye before they walked toward the vehicle.

"I felt like punching that guy." Matt started, opening the creaky door that was in need of oiling.

"His looks reminded me of you." Mello gave a small smile, shrugging a bit.

"That's the biggest insult I've ever–" His voice was cut off when his green eyes trailed over to three individuals that were coming their way.

A woman, a man, and the pop star, Misa. It didn't take long to figure out that the male was Mikami and that the woman was Takada. However, before Matt could wave or greet them, he was pulled into the car with a harsh tug. Feeling warm lips on his own, his eyes widened, but relaxed when it was Mello doing the kissing. Slowly moving his lips back, he tried to kiss back, but felt their lips separate.

"Get in the damn car and drive us home."

"Sure, Mels…" He felt hypnotized by the small gesture of affection.

"What model of car is this?" Near asked, looking away. He had no interest in the vehicle at all or its functions, but felt as if he should try to understand what the other saw in the inanimate object. Also, it was another way to distract Matt from Misa.

"This cute little baby is a 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner 383." Matt gave a small smirk at knowing the type of model of car, listening to the purring after turning on the vehicle. "She's a real beauty."

"…" Near wondered what the 'beauty' of a car was, but left it at that. Gray eyes looked out the window, staring as the scenery passed by.

"What do you want to eat, Near?" Mello asked after a while, his eyes forward.

"I don't mind anything right now, thank you."

"Fine. Matt, pick a place."

"That's too much work…" Matt commented.

"You lazy fuck." Mello gave a small smile, shaking his head a bit. "Fine."

"What did you think about that man, Mello?" Near asked, his attention at the buildings that were passing by each second.

"I don't know what L saw in that guy nor do I care. When you hate someone, you need to care about them, Near. I don't have enough care in my body for that guy. He had a good purpose, but he went through it the wrong way and even skipped the justice steps to achieve it. I know you know that he looks at himself as if he were a god."

"Yes, I noticed." Near felt a small smile tug at his lips at the other's point of view. He felt the same way the other did, but felt a bit of admiration toward the blond. Mello had gotten Light back and even revenge, which he was grateful for.

"Mels, where to?" Matt asked, staring at the red traffic light.

"Do you want American food?"

"Sure."

"I don't mind anything." Near spoke.

"Matt."

"On it." He started to drive, then asked a question. "Isn't all of their food fried? Do they have those cake things that have filling inside that are baked with a crisp brown?"

"I doubt that all of their food is fried, Matt. You mean a 'pie?'"

"Yeah, those. I've been wanting to try one for a while. I hear that the best are made in the south or something."

"I'd explain to you, but I doubt you'd care."

"You're right."

Mello shook his head a bit and looked out into the city. He took all the colors of the setting sun inside, then turned his gaze over to the mirror. Cerulean eyes were looking at eyes that were looking out the window. His eyes trailed over the petite body, the eyes landing on the bruise that was peeking out of the solid white collar.

"Mels, do you mind if we go for a ride before we get some dinner?"

"Yeah, sure." He turned his attention to the other behind the wheel, wondering where they were going to go. "Where are we going?"

"Just for a ride." Matt replied, continuing to stare forward. "I don't feel like going anywhere, to be honest, but night is about to come. I'd like to park somewhere in the city to view lights."

"For a romantic date or something?" Mello smiled a bit, shaking his head as he looked out the window. "You're a fucker, you know that?"

"Hey, I try." Matt smiled a bit. "Besides, I want to ride this baby for a while."

"…" Mello remained quiet that that comment.

Near finally shifted his eyes away from the window, staring from one to the other. _Is this Mello showing jealousy? It must be, right? I wonder, how much jealousy would he show towards an inanimate object?_

The scenery changed after an hour and a half of driving around. Road after road was passed, lights brightening up everywhere. Reds, blues, oranges, pinks, whites, yellows, and other colors were brightening up their faces as each building was passed; the lights gave a gentle twinkle, as if they were stars. They made gentle and small waves, the twinkling making each individual star-like light wanting to be the only one noticed; all competing with each other. Signs that had practical names to the odd names were lightening up, almost overwhelming. Glass windows were rolled down as three types of hair flew in the breeze while the car went an average speed of thirty-five miles an hour.

"This is nice." Matt spoke up after the long ride, continuing to drive down the streets.

"Did you waste most of the gas?" Mello asked, not looking over and readjusting his eyes forward, staring at the beautiful city of London passing them by.

"We're fine to get home."

"That's not what I meant."

"We may need to stop somewhere to get gas, then."

Near stared from one to the other, then adjusted his eyes forward. "I don't get the romantic side of this."

Matt shifted his eyes to the rearview mirror to stare at gray eyes that were looking at him. "Well, I mean…"

"Just enjoy it for once."

_How can I enjoy this when I am in the back of the car and feel like a child? Then again, it's all within the mind, is it not?_

"May we talk?"

"About?" Matt asked, tapping his fingers lightly against the steering wheel at a red light.

"Beyond."

"What about him?" Mello asked, leaning his left elbow on the car, laying his head down on his own hand.

"His last victim isn't only a murder victim, is it? It's a murder-suicide, if you view it that way. He is killing himself to fool L into it, but is he also killing himself because of A?"

"Do you think it hurts that much, Mels?" Matt shifted his eyes over to his left, then forward when the light turned green. He eased on the gas again.

"I don't know. That depends on how deep their bond and connection were, but if it's this bad to kill an innocent child, then probably does." Mello gave a small shrug. "I don't know, Matt. Beyond is an interesting person, but I wonder if he does care about humans at all. If he's a human being with no emotions, then it would be hard to tell."

"What if he went numb?"

"That still doesn't excuse what he did." Near spoke up, answering Matt's question.

"Think he feels the same way about L?" Matt leaned back, relaxing his eyes behind the orange goggles.

"That there's no excuse for his actions? Yeah, I think so." Mello gave an honest answer.

Near kept looking at the stunning scene before him with dull eyes, his topic changing from his uncle to his father. "L is a very smart man and we're going to follow after his footsteps. Do you believe that we'll work together always or that we'll work differently?"

Mello remained quiet, knowing what the question meant. "I'm not going to work for you, if that's what you're implying."

"That isn't what I'm implying at all." Near said back almost immediately.

"Drop the subject and let's relax for a while, Near."

"…" The youngest brother didn't say anything as he looked out the window, thinking about the situation at hand. He moved back into the seat, relaxing his muscles while looking at the neon signs.

"After all this crazy shit is over, we should go somewhere nice." Matt muttered.

"Since when did you turn into a romantic?" Mello nearly scoffed, but held back on it.

Before Matt had time to answer, a ringing broke through their ears. A pair of blue eyes looked at the window while a pair of green eyes stared at the middle mirror, back at the pale individual in the backseat. Meanwhile, gray eyes looked down to the pocket. Reaching inside, Near took out his mobile device.

Opening it and putting it on the speaker option, he spoke, "Yes?"

"You three went to see Light Yagami, did you not?" L's voice rang out. All three knew the tone was slightly off – a bit of annoyance behind it.

"Yes, we did." Near answered for them three.

"That was highly dangerous of you three."

"He wouldn't get into our minds if he tried, L." Near spoke, staring at the phone. He didn't need to look up at Mello's expression to know that he wouldn't go up against their father.

"That doesn't excuse the behavior of using him for this investigation nor is it an excuse to steal a 1968 vehicle."

Matt's shoulders slowly tensed up at that as green eyes slightly widened behind goggles; the look of disbelief and shock covering his features as his face remained looking forward at the road.

"I believe it's a 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner 383." Near corrected.

Matt shifted a bit, almost as if he looked as if he was taken aback.

"Ah, yes, it seems like it is with the record here. I apologize, but it doesn't excuse you from such actions."

"I'll return it and take any punishment you have." Matt reached out to gently grab Mello's shoulder, gently pressing his left index finger on the delicate lips in front of him to silence him from speaking the words he wanted to while they reached a red light.

"There is no need. The vehicle is now yours. I have the title here."

While Mello moved Matt's hands away from his body, Matt's emerald green eyes widened all the more.

He shifted his body to start driving again, the peak of curiosity evident in his features. "What?"

"I said the vehicle is–"

"Why?"

"Let's leave it at that. However, how badly did you damage it before taking it?"

"If you want to take it to a mechanic…"

"I will and I will pay for the expenses. This is your enrollment to the local university gift. You're already on track for it, of course, being ranked number three in the school. However, if you if you want the car to have a fresh paint job and everything else that you may want, you need to graduate with straight A's from now on."

Near and Mello shifted their attention to Matt – the look on his face was obvious. He made a small face of disgust, but then turned his attention to the dashboard while moving forward in the street. His eyes gave a small shine when he gripped the steering wheel more. Making up his mind, he answered L.

"Fine."

"Good. I'll put terms and conditions in the written contract."

"What?" Matt shifted his eyes to the phone, then turned his attention back to the road.

L moved on from the current topic at hand. "I would like to address the issue of you three being together, now."

"That fast?" Mello spoke up, a bit skeptical.

"Yes, I would." L paused, then continued on. "Due to the certain circumstances, I know that if I make this topic into a taboo or something that is rejected, then you three will work twice as hard to keep it together. Furthermore, if you three are together in a romantic relationship, I would like a few rules to be followed."

"…" Near stayed quiet, staring at the phone. He could see it in Mello's eyes that there were a few emotions brewing and spoke up. "What are they?"

"I'll write up the contract, but you three will only know what it means, other than me. If the document were to be found, it would be incriminating evidence, would it not be?"

"Yes, it would." Near answered again.

"Good. I do trust that all of you will keep your word."

"L." Mello finally found his voice.

"Yes, Mello?"

"What's your answer to our answer to our relationship?"

There was a small pause, Mello and Near wondering if L was doing it on purpose or if he was choosing his words carefully. It could have been both or the second option. They knew the words that would come out of his mouth were basically an unwritten verbal agreement of what was to come for the four.

"Yes, I accept."


	9. Amplification

It was early in the morning, the sun shining brightly throughout the city of London and it was the day after L accepting them. Many tourists were surrounding Big Ben, the clock ticking away as if it were counting every movement the people did. A red vehicle passed through, the crowd watching as if it was rare.

"We're not ditching school again, are we?" Near's pale fingers slowly dug into the couch, even though his monotone voice was strong and his face was void of emotion.

"What if we are?" Mello leaned back, a small smile on his face as the wind hit his face, his eyes completely closed while locks of blond hair flew in every direction.

"I would like to be dropped off at school. I want to learn something, Mello. I don't want Matt to hack into my record to make it seem if I was there." He countered.

"Relax. Or do you want to show off that bruise on your neck that badly?" His eyes remained closed.

Near shifted his attention over to the eyes that were looking directly at him through the orange goggles, staring at the hint of curiosity in them. He was glad that they shifted back toward the road, his own body slightly tensing up more. "I don't want to show Linda anything, Mello."

"We're basically detectives. Do you really think missing another day of school is worth Beyond's suicide?"

Near went completely silent at that, knowing what the right and wrong answer was. "…"

"Besides," Crystal blue eyes opened to stare outside the window. "L gave us ID cards. According to them, Matt and I are twenty, you're nineteen."

"…" Near remained quiet, looking out the window. He didn't answer to that, but then let the question that was on his mind resurface. "Where are we going?"

"Beyond's apartment."

Confused gray eyes looked at the mirror that was in the center front of the car. For a brief second, his eyes were met with eyes that were behind orange goggles. "I see."

Without another word from any of the trio, the car ride was silent. Frequently, pair of green eyes shifted to look at the blond that was next to him and the petite boy that was in the back. The motor of the vehicle gave a low and sweet purr. After a turns from the road, the vehicle stopped in front of an apartment complex. Turning off the engine with the new key, he was glad that L had the car fixed overnight. He would have to thank the man later, but when the gamer heard soft snores, his lips slowly twitched into a smile. Green eyes slightly widened as his ears heard another light snore. Turning his attention to the mirror, he noticed Near's limp body that was leaning against the frame.

"Cute." He whispered, knowing that they both were tired from last night's car ride. Jade eyes continued to stare for a few minutes, contemplating whether to wake the two up or not. Making his move, he gently grabbed the cloth shoulder. "Mels…"

The gentleness of his voice seemed to make the other stir a bit and slightly moan.

Noticing that the blond male didn't wake up at his voice, he gave a small smile. Right now, he would want to go to sleep with both of them in bed, to just cuddle and be lazy the whole day: no problems, only to get up and play video games, but the chances of that happening were minutely slim. A black gloved shoulder reached out again, gently shaking the individual next to him. Knowing that a few people woke up cranky, Matt reached over the driver's seat. Gently, he landed a kiss on the lightly snoring lips. Closing his green eyes, he started to lightly move against the other. Green eyes quickly shot open and his stripped shoulders tensed when he was pulled in by two hands that were on his back. When the fingers raked themselves and they gripped a bit tightly at his hair, a low moan escaped. The gamer was disappointed when Mello pulled away, his own breath a bit uneven.

"What a lovely wake up call." Mello spoke, his voice a bit hoarse.

"…" The redhead gave a small smile, then pointed behind them to the smaller one that was asleep. "I'm tired too. Maybe I shouldn't have driven that long last night."

"You think?" Blue eyes looked up to the mirror that was in between them, then stared at the small figure. His eyes trailed down the body, a small smile forming on his features. "He looks like an angel like that."

"You think he's the devil when he's awake, Mels?"

"Oh, I know he is." Turning around, Mello reached backwards to shake the other's shoulder. "Near… hey, wake–ah!" He yelped, a frown coming onto his feature as he turned his body to the side to look at Matt. "What was that for?"

"Your ass is by my face. You don't think I'll smack it when I can?" There was a small smirk on the gamer's lips.

"…" He didn't say anything to that, staring back at sleepy gray eyes. Switching the topic, he stated, "We're here."

"I can see that. Are you two always this flirty?" Near asked, sleepiness coating his usual dull voice.

"Yeah, we are. Now, let's go." Pushing the creaky door after sitting right, the male stepped out of the vehicle. Pushing the seat forward while Matt got out the other side, he left the door open.

"…" Matt's eyes scanned over the area before his mouth opened to let out a yawn. He reached toward the sky to stretch, closing the door with a light slam. "No cameras."

"Cheap place." Mello noted.

Near closed the door, feeling a bit off with the situation. It had been the third day that he had skipped school and even though the lack of sleep distracted from it, he felt as if it was wrong. Noticing that Mello walked forward while Matt followed, Near did the same. His gray eyes scanned the area for anything that might be useful. It was a row of buildings, the complex looked nice and clean. As Matt stated, there was no cameras and they were parked in a free parking spot. There were on indicators that there was reserved or assigned parking. The streets were clean and all the apartments seemed almost identical.

"Here." Mello stopped, staring at the room. He gave a small scoff. "You have to be kidding me."

"Hm?" It was Matt's turn to look at the number, a small twitch coming from his lips. "Nice."

Near's gray eyes followed their invisible trails. There, the numbers read: 1313. "…" The white-haired boy said nothing as he wondered what the two juveniles were going to do, but didn't need to wait any longer to see Mello knock.

"Beyond?" Mello knocked again when he got no response. Waiting a bit, he reached into his pocket to take out a piece of straight wire. It almost looked as if it was a paperclip or something. Watching, Near was intrigued where the blond had learned the technique. Seconds later, the door unlocked for the three.

"Beyond?" Mello asked again, his blue eyes shifting left to right to see if anyone was watching them. Noticing that nobody was, he was the first one to walk inside.

Near and Matt followed in suit. Soon, the door was closed behind them as they took the surroundings of the apartment. It was white, neat, and barely any furniture. There was a couch here, a couch there, a glass table, and minute decorations. They immediately knew that something was off with their detective eyes and skills.

"Hold on." Mello stopped, commanding the both individuals that were behind him. "Beyond? Are you in here?" He called out, staring at the ground as his ear listened for any movements our sounds. The apartment seemed to be eerily dead quiet.

"He isn't here." Near spoke up, slowly walking over to the blond teenager. He continued to walk, striding past him as his silver-colored eyes scanned the area. Staring at the room that had a door slightly adjusted, he waited. Shifting his attention to the hinges, he noticed that there was nothing there. Pushing the door open slowly, Near walked inside of the room. Looking around and taking in the area, he took a note of something. The room was completely white, but the bed had a small indentation on one side. The rest seemed to have dust, as well as everything that was in the room.

"Hell, Near." Mello spoke from the door. "He lives like you."

"…" Near didn't reply as he slowly came down to his knees, wincing slightly as his backside hurt. Putting his hands on the floor, he braced himself for the dark eyes that he believed would be under the bed. Crouching down, he noticed that the bottom of the bed – Beyond wasn't there.

"Did you find anything?" The older adoptive brother asked while walking over. Suddenly, the tip of his right shoe hit something on the ground as he fell forward, his arms opening to catch himself. Blue eyes widened as cheeks tinted with a pink color. He froze.

Near opened his mouth to answer, but his whole body tensed. On his back, he could feel Mello's strong chest, but on his bottom, he felt a piece of Mello that made his pale cheeks quickly turn red. Before he could say anything, he was interrupted by a voice.

"I see you two are having fun." Matt commented while leaning against the doorframe.

"It's not what it looks like!" Mello tried, quickly pulling away from the other. A frown was on his lips as he looked into green eyes.

"Uh-huh."

Near wondered what tone of voice Matt had. _Is he jealous because last time neither of us satisfied him? Has he been feeling neglected? That would make sense. Perhaps I should try to be more affectionate, but maybe he's stressed over another issue? Is that possible? What could have caught his eye?_

"I tripped." Mello's voice brought him out of his thoughts. Scanning the floor, he felt around for the culprit behind the surprise attack. Hands shifted on the mat, he moved them until he found the bump that he was currently looking for. A small frown was made onto his features as fingers pulled at the rug and he looked at the slightly peaking triangle from the floor. "What's this?" Contemplating on whether opening or not, he pulled at the tab back.

Inside, there was absolutely nothing. It made the boys stare at the inside with confusion.

"What do you think he hid?" Mello asked, mostly to Matt than Near in particular. Reaching inside with his tan hand, he started to feel around for anything, but felt nothing. Every surface was soft, which made his curiosity peak. "Let's go back. I doubt we'll find anything in this house. I think whatever was here, he already took with him."

"…" Matt said nothing, giving a small nod while he looked around. "Near, do you see anything? You're organized like this guy."

A small frown crossed the other's lips, but he didn't answer the question. "I may be organized, but I am not a serial killer." He watched as Mello put everything back the way it was.

"Sure." The smoker mocked with the display of what Near had done, but started to walk away. "Let's go, then."

"…" He didn't say anything to the mock, wondering if there was something bothering the redhead.

Once back outside, the three got into the vehicle. There seemed to be nothing in the apartment, which troubled the three. Matt was the first to speak while Mello was in deep thought. "Mels, where to?"

"There was nothing in that stupid apartment. I don't get it. We're missing something, but what could it be?" The blond gave a small sigh, knowing that Beyond wouldn't make a stupid mistake, but the man was starting to get desperate. It was obvious in all of their eyes. "Where to…" He repeated, thinking back on the apartment that was straightly in front of them. "We need to find out what he was hiding. We also need to find out the dates of the murders. If we figure that out, then we can probably make a guess when he's going to strike with his suicide."

"Today." Near spoke up at remembering, looking at Mello through the mirror. "I already had that taken care of. It's today, but I don't know at what time."

"Shit, Near." His brother frowned and nearly glared. "Why the hell didn't you say something earlier?"

"Why would I say something when you two barely tell me anything?" The white-haired boy countered, knowing that it wasn't the best comeback nor as it the situation to make the remark. Shifting his eyes a bit, he noticed a pair of green eyes that were looking at him. "I apologize."

"What's your deal?" The blond asked. Mello didn't take that long to figure out that Matt and Near were in a bad mood. He wanted to know why instead of letting it get more sour during the investigation case, but he knew that Beyond was a high profile at the moment. Settling for the issue at hand, he shifted his attention from one to the other. "Are you two angry at each other? Did I miss a bitch fit?"

"No." Near answered for both he and the redhead, averting his attention to outside.

"Matt, spit it out." Mello ordered when he turned his full attention to the redhead.

"Nothing's wrong." He calmly spoke, but when the eyes didn't stop looking at him, he gave a small sigh. "Fine, I'm just upset."

"About what?" His adoptive brother asked.

"You both seem like you don't need me at all in this relationship, Mels," The gamer began, knowing that there was no way to go back on his word now, "You both seem perfect for each other. You two are like good puzzle pieces, but I'm just at the sidelines like a mutt."

"You're not." A frown appeared on Mello's lips.

"Look, it's stupid." Matt reasoned, knowing that he barely voiced his feelings. Reaching over, he tried to put the key in the ignition, but a raven black hand stopped him. Green eyes widened when a body was coming for him from the passenger seat. "Mels–" He tried to reason, his heart skipping a beat as it raced in his chest. Soon, lips were on his own as he was kissed. Closing the eyes that stared at a video game screen, he slowly wrapped his arms around the delicate yet powerful waist in front of him. When the seat was pulled back, he gasped as his eyes widened more.

"It wasn't me…" Mello whispered, the kisses continuing.

"Mmm…" The gamer moaned, trying his best to kiss back as his eyes looked back to stare at emotionless gray eyes that were staring at him. He felt a blush coming onto his features as he panted, his hands travelling low on the blond's back, gripping his butt cheeks lightly.

"Ah, fuck." He gasped, pulling back. "I want to fuck you in this car right now."

"Mello…" Matt panted a bit, his eyes slowly turning into a hazy with need, want, and sexual desire.

"You've been feeling neglected and now you want us to pleasure you, correct?" Near questioned, looking down at the smoker's eyes. "You could have asked, but we shouldn't do this in public. If we're going to do it in the vehicle, it should at least be in the garage of our home that we never use."

"Near…" Matt voiced, then turned his attention back to Mello, who was smiling. "You two…"

"You think we only want each other, idiot? We want you just as much, or did you forget that? That was our mission when this all began." Mello gave a small smile instead of a smirk, leaning down for another kiss.

Tongues moved against each other as two pairs of green and blue irises closed. Slowly, their bodies shifted fluidly as arms started to roam around, the taste of smoke and chocolate mixing in a delicious euphoric blend.

"It finally got to me…" Matt muttered, shifting so he could kiss the other better, black gloves gripping themselves through blond locks. "Mello, I'm sorry. Mmm."

"It's 'Mels,' to you…" Mello gasped, black digits gripping the red hair and tugging harshly at it. "I want to fuck in this car."

"I want to fuck you in this car too, Mels."

A sudden ring from their side didn't catch their attention as they continued to ravage each of their tongues. Near ignored the make-out session in front of him although he was slightly uncomfortable since his hormonal body was reacting, but he decided to check his cellphone instead. Reading the message in front of him, he was silently thankful for the situation. "L believes that Beyond will strike today. He says that he's busy with another investigation and entrusts us with it. The equipment we'll need is at our house." Shifting his silver eyes outside, he tightened his legs a bit more, trying to think of a long math equation to solve in his mind to distract him from the live porno.

"Mmm!" Matt groaned at his fun being taken away, mostly when lips parted from him. He panted while he looked at the ceiling. "Great…"

"I'll make it worth your while later. Near, you're helping me." Mello shifted until he was back in his seat. His voice wasn't as hoarse as the gamer's as he asked the question. "Was he specific with what he left us?"

"No." Near started to twirl a piece of hair, shifting his eyes over to Matt's body. A blush slowly brushed on his cheeks as he noticed the other's jeans were tight. Shifting his attention away from the scene, he thought back on the message. "Why do you believe he's letting us handle this when he's the center of this investigation?"

"Something else caught his attention or he can't handle it, Near. You've seen how he is." Blue eyes looked over to the body that was at the driver's seat, slumping over like a corpse. "Matt, get up. We have to go home to get the supplies. You can sulk later."

A sigh escaped the smoker's lips, the hint of chocolate still on his taste buds. "…" Shifting his body back upwards with the most effort he could muster, he pulled the seat back up, then shifted his attention back at Near. "Are we tainting you so much that you're starting to participate in breaking the laws?"

"You both were indulging and were participating in an act that would be possibly sexual intercourse in a public location. As I've stated before, if there is a chance to not get caught, then I would take it."

"Cheater." Mello muttered, looking out the window.

However, Matt brushed the conclusion off his mind. Instead, he gave a small smile as he continued to look at his brother. The next few questions that came out of his mouth let his two adoptive brothers get blushes dusted on their cheeks. "Was it hot? Did you get turned on? Would you have watched the entire thing?"

"Matt." Mello frowned a bit, turning to look at his brother with slightly glaring blue eyes.

"What? I want to know." He gave a small smile. "If he ships us or not."

"If I 'ship' you two?" Near stared at the gamer in front of him, a small look of confusion throughout his features. "I don't understand. Is that a slang term?"

"It's when you pair two people up together." Matt turned his attention back at the steering wheel. "You want them to be together and stuff. Some people write about it, you know."

"How would you know that?" Mello frowned a bit. "The hell do you do on the computer?"

"Well, if you want to get to the dirty stuff, then it's written porn, Mels."

"Start the car."

"You can make the story up sometimes and in the end you can make them do whatever they want."

"Start the car."

"I'm wondering if Near ships us that way in his little mind."

"Start the damn car." Mello glared lightly with his crystal blue eyes, but the pink blush that was on his features betrayed what the threatening look was trying to give out.

"Fine, Mels, sheesh." He backed up the car, a small smile on his face, but he quickly hid it. "If you two are wondering how I know that, there are girls at school that gossip about it. I just got bored, hacked into their phones, and looked up the history. You should see what they read. The silent ones are the most perverted."

"Matt." The blond frowned, crossing his arms in an authoritative stance. "Drive."

A small chuckle escaped the redhead, but when he wasn't punched, he was glad for it. Continuing down the road, it took a lot of his will power to not hit the break at Near's words.

"Yes, it was hot. I did get aroused to a certain extent, but not physically, no. I may have watched the entire thing, but part of me would get bored." The monotone added the effect from the small petite boy. His gray eyes stared at the mirror in the middle, watching both of their reactions. His lips wanted to twitch into a small smile when he noticed that Mello's cheeks got pink, but his faced changed through emotions.

"Boring?" Mello calmly asked, his cheeks still remaining with the pink tint.

"Yes, Mello. I would watch for a while, then get tired of it, then go elsewhere to play with my toys." Near said it with a normal tone, as if the conversation weren't embarrassing at all.

"…" Matt didn't say anything, continuing to drive the streets. He shifted his eyes over to the blond, staring at the silent, but smart mind ticking inside. He could tell that he was thinking and analyzing what Near's words meant or what they didn't mean.

"No, I think you would ask to join after a while." Mello countered, the blush on his cheeks finally starting to fade.

Near's finger twirled the finger around, as if it were a ballerina, and once he registered the words, he thought about it. "Perhaps." He didn't deny nor accept the other's conclusion. "We can think about that later and perhaps perform it. I'm sure Matt would like to be the submissive one, yes?"

"I already know how his body works." The chocoholic's lips came into a small smirk.

"Then I'll follow your lead later." Near's own came onto a smile as his gray eyes looked out the window at the streets, people, and monuments they were passing. He didn't need to look over to notice that the gamer's cheeks were as red as the car.

Minutes after driving around, the car parked in the driveway. The motor continued to purr, but quickly stopped when the key was turned. Squeaky doors opened to let out the passengers inside, the three pairs of feet stepping outside.

Mello lead the way into their house, listening to nothing in particular. He knew that Matt had lost interest in everything and inside Near's head, he was calculating and thinking of the challenges ahead. Opening the door, he motioned them upstairs. Stopping at the forbidden door that none of them would believe would go inside while L was gone, Mello's blue eyes stared in slight awe at the door.

"…" Near shifted his gray eyes toward the other, wondering if he was going to do anything. Realization hit when he could see the certain look in Mello's eyes. Shifting his eyes back at the white door, Near kept thinking about everything they had been through. Near respected the man to the fullest, but when it actually came down to liking him as a person or not, there was a fine line that L always seemed to be shifting against. Of course he was the greatest detective in Great Britain and the United States, but when it came down to being a father figure; L didn't have much of his vote. Turning his attention back to the situation at hand, he noticed that Matt and Mello had already gone in.

"What are we looking for?" Matt asked with a bored expression, his gaze turning from one place in the room to another.

"He wasn't specific this morning, but it's a box." Mello took in the features of the entire room, wondering what went through L's head most of the time.

"If I may inquire, Mello, have you ever had a crush on L?" Near asked, his gray eyes staring at the other's figure.

Shoulders tensed up at the statement, a small tint of pink through his features. Blue eyes shifted over, a look of disbelief through them, but gray eyes also noticed that a pair of green eyes was staring intently too. "What?" He responded, disbelief covering his features.

"I asked–" The white-haired boy started again, but was quickly cut off.

"No." The blond said sternly. "Now, keep looking."

Near said nothing, watching as Mello went back to work. His attention shifted over to Matt, who remained quiet as he analyzed the whole situation. When the redhead turned his attention back to the task at hand, the youngest adoptive brother followed in suit. "…"

"I found it…" The voice of the blue-eyed blond trailed off, his attention staring at the contents of the inside a box. His eyes were slightly dazed as he stared at it, a small frown forming on his features at the thought of L wanting them to have it. "He said it would be this box, but…"

"It's two guns." Near stated the obvious, staring at the two .45 weapons at their disposal. Yellow-gold bullets were next to them, a small note at the bottom of them. He shifted his attention over to the both boys that were next to him, the situation becoming a bit too unreal.

"What's L thinking?" Mello frowned, taking the first step by gripping the weapon. He lifted it, his hand moving slightly down at the weight of it. "Does he seriously think that Beyond is this dangerous or something?"

Matt reached out, the weapon catching his interest. Holding it up, he stared at the components of the metallic-silver, his eyes shifting to the extra bullets. "Mels, I think these are already loaded."

"…" Reaching inside, Near moved his hand, carefully to avoid the bullets. Bringing the paper up to his eyes, he started to read L's handwriting, "'This seems a bit extreme, but do take into account that Beyond is a criminal. He is panicking and will stop at nothing to complete his mission. Eventually and under the right circumstances, panic can turn deadly. Stay safe. This is a precaution for you three and I am now treating you all as if you were agents working for me under the law as adults. Only use this when necessary, I trust that you will. After all, this is a huge step as a detective and a father. I want you to burn this note after reading it – immediately after.'" Near watched as the word 'immediately' was underlined two times.

Mello shifted his attention from the weapon to the piece of paper, a small frown on his features. "He gave us weapons because he thinks Beyond was going to turn on us?"

"…" Matt remained quiet, shifting the gun on his hands. He knew that it didn't sound much like their father – the true detective that knew right from wrong.

"It does seem a bit strange, but it doesn't at the same time. L trusts both of you with a loaded weapon and by the word choice and even structure of sentences, he seems that he's worried and very hesitant about the situation."

"He's probably busy with another case. Beyond made his move without drawing attention to himself that L caught on or there's something we're missing." Mello countered.

"We should go back to the university. He's going to strike today, but we don't know when." Near shifted his eyes over to the clock at the nightstand of L's bedroom, staring at the numbers that clearly read 11:44AM.

"He only gave us two guns." Mello noted out loud, knowing that both of them knew.

"As mentioned before, he only trusts both of you with one. Perhaps it's the danger increasing with three guns instead of two. Mello, I don't blame him. I dislike guns. They are what give people power and in the end, if I were L, I would do the same." Turning his attention to walk out the door, part of his mind had thought about what he currently said. The words kept circling in his mind, but he pushed them aside. Walking back to his car, he noticed that both Matt and Mello had the guns hidden. He didn't need or want to ask where they were. His only guess was that they were behind, in the waistband of their pants where their coats covered.

"You want to get there fast or at a normal pace?" Matt opened the door, swinging his body inside. He started up the car, waiting for his two brothers to get in the car.

"Normal pace. There's no need to break the law or try to attempt it, Matt. I don't want to gamble." Mello got inside after Near, readjusting the seat.

"Alrighty." Shifting his body back, he started to ease the vehicle back.

"Do you two know how to use those weapons?" Near asked, reaching with a hand to start twirling his hair. Even though they had been housemates for years and even adoptive brothers, he barely knew the taste of the two individuals. He always kept to himself: dice, dominos, and robots. In truth, he had grown up isolated, even now when L would check up on him. He didn't mind being left behind. Family meals were a bit awkward, but most of the time L and Mello talked while Matt played his video games. Throughout the years, sexual urges came and went while most of the time he never did anything about it. Perhaps once or twice, at most three times that he did. A small smile came onto his lips at the memories at how much had changed since then. Now, it seemed like a distant past as they were about to go and try to catch a serial killer from 'murdering' another victim – or committing suicide.

Minutes went by as the drive around, the university coming into view. The buildings towered high, students walking with all types of backpacks, purses, and anything that could hold materials. The parking seemed a bit minimal since every car had a parking sticker, which made it hard to find one without being fined or towed. Continuing to drive through the university, Matt finally found a spot. He gave a small sigh as he knew that he would have to walk a distance to the room.

A small smile was given from the blond as Mello exited out of the car. He led the way, his attention shifting from many people. It was easy to attract the gazes of many women and a few men that stared at his physique. Winks were boldly thrown his direction, some directed at the redhead with orange goggles. Mello gave a small smile at the women, but Matt didn't do anything, staring at Mello's reaction. Near did the same, shifting his attention over to the women that gave him disgusted looks once he was the only one staring at them.

"…" Shifting his attention again, he looked up at the blond. He wanted to say something about the glances, but remained quiet.

After a while of walking, though, it seemed that most of the girls were attracted to the man with the big fluffy black jacket. By this time, Matt was currently playing on his phone. Blindly following, he ignored everything in the world around him. Mello, on the other hand, only gave a few smiles. It seemed as if he was after an objective, but Near couldn't put his finger on it. It was obvious that Matt was done caring about the situation around them. Shifting his attention to the women, he wasn't surprised when a few of them winked his direction. It was all common sense – associate yourself with the friends of the man you were attracted to and you had a higher probability of actually succeeding of being together with them. At least, that's what Near thought that they thought about.

"You're awfully quiet, Near." Blue eyes shifted themselves over to the corner, trying to stare at the boy that was behind them.

Near didn't say anything, his observation skills going to the women that kept staring. Soon enough, his attention was brought on by a woman that approached Mello. He felt a small frown tugging at his lips as he felt his hand come up to his hair, starting to twirl a lock of pure white hair. He took a small note on how Matt didn't even react, his fingers pressing at the buttons. However, taking a closer look after a few seconds, Near noticed that the speed of the buttons was slowing down, as if he was paying attention now to what was happening.

"Hi." Her voice was soft, the smile on her features making the three males stop. She continued on speaking, "My name is Yuri."

Mello shifted his attention to her, staring at her dark eyes and hair, shifting his eyes over her body, as if looking for something. Matt didn't do anything while Near analyzed her movements and watched the blue wandering eyes. A small frown came onto his features. He was already annoyed by the situation.

"Hey." Mello responded back, a small smile on his features as he looked up into her eyes. He didn't give out his own name, which caught Near's attention.

"I know it's sudden, but aren't you in Biology 209?" She asked, not giving Matt or Near a glance.

"I might be." He answered with a kind of tone that could be considered flirty. Interrupting her before she asked another question, he asked, "I'm looking for a friend of mine. You haven't seen him, have you? He's not hard to miss. He's slouched over, dark rings under his eyes, white shirt, baggy jeans, black eyes, and crazy raven hair."

Yuri seemed to take a while to consider it, then she shook her head. "No, sorry. I was wondering…" She trailed off, which halted the blond from taking another step to leave. "Would you like to go on a date sometime?"

Matt seemed to have paused his motions on the buttons, finally registering what the woman had said, but after a while, he started to continue on again. Near kept twirling his hair calmly, staring at the interaction between the three. It was interesting to him.

"I'm already spoken for." A smile came onto the blond's features.

"Oh, you are?" Yuri seemed to be disappointed in her eyes – the smile plastered on her lips being fake.

"Yeah, I am." Mello wrapped his arm around Near's waist, pulling him very close. "This piece of ass is mind." Reaching backward, he groped tightly. "That isn't all, though." Reaching with his other arm, he pulled Matt real close. "So is this gamer. He has a fine package."

Yuri's eyes seemed to have widened at the comments as a heavy blush of red came onto her features. She covered her mouth slightly, but gave a small nod, quickly walking away.

"How cute." Matt commented, the buttons running over the system.

Near felt his body tense when his own personal space was invaded, his body jumping slightly at the motion that was caused, but he relaxed after a while. Staring at Yuri leave, he shot a small glare toward the chocoholic. "…"

"You wanted everyone here to come ask me out?" Mello unwrapped his arms from the two.

"Nope, but if that was to make me feel better, it succeeded." Matt answered.

Near didn't say anything, following the lead of his brother when they started to walk away. He shifted his attention again, staring at Yuri talking with her friends while other females were staring with all different kinds of emotions – disgust, anger, sadness, and the rare few that had awkwardness written on their faces. Soon, they were all at the dorms and he was glad that nobody had noticed. Staring at the room with the '404' label, Near watched as Mello pushed the door slightly with his finger, it being open.

A frown came from his features as he looked over at Matt. Matt, getting the message quickly, turned off the system. A small nod was given to let the blond continue, his hand reaching toward his backside to remain there.

Walking inside first, cerulean eyes took the scene in front of them. The black gloved hand was in his back waistband as adrenalin started to course through his veins. His eyes landed on one man that was hunched over a white desk, the materials spread out: a doll, nail, two matches, and a bottle of gasoline at his feet. The three didn't move from their spots, Near watching at Matt and Mello took lead of the entire situation, staring at the back of the killer's back – Beyond Birthday, their own uncle.

Very slowly and gently, Near shifted to close the white door behind them, making a note to wipe down the silver handle later. Turning his attention, he almost jumped when he noticed two black eyes were watching him. He could tell the nervousness jump into them as they seemed alert, darting from one person to another. Even though the room was barely lit, they shined as a black crow's feathers would in the sunlight.

"What are you three doing here?" He started, staring at both hands that were behind Matt and Mello, his shoulders tensing a bit more. A small smile came onto his face as realization hit. "Oh, I see. You've figured it out, didn't you? What are you going to do? Stop me?" Beyond kept staring at the individuals, the smile twitching slightly.

"This doesn't have to end violently, Beyond. Let's talk this out, like adults." Mello tried to take over the situation.

"Adults." Beyond scoffed slightly. "What would you know about that?" The smile kept lingering, his fingers moving over to the gasoline. "You three are a bunch of teenagers. What do you know anything about us adults? Do you think you have me figured out to the last detail? What I feel inside?"

"Drop it." Mello frowned, trying to resist the urge to draw the pistol.

"Or what?" Beyond ignored him, opening the cap slightly. "Will you tackle me to the ground and arrest me, Mihael Keehl?"

Blue eyes slightly widened at the name, his blood running cold. A frown came onto his features as he looked at his relative. "How did you…"

"Oh, you want to know?" The man smiled more, looking over at the other two. "Mail Jeevas and Nate River. I know them. Are you surprised that I figured it out?" Shifting, he put the gallon in the air, intending to drop it on himself, but stopped at the voice.

"Enough." The chocoholic gave a frown, glaring with his blue eyes as he tried to regain control of the situation. "You know our names, what about it, Beyond? Put the gallon of gasoline down." It seemed as his voice had a bit of anger in it at being disobeyed.

"Okay." Beyond smiled, tilting the red galloon to drop the gasoline on his body. The smile kept lingering as all the contents were pouring freely. To add affect, he shifted the gallon all over, getting more and more on his body.

Near's gray eyes shifted, knowing that Beyond wouldn't stop until this was all over. Beyond had to be better than L and even succeed. He was going to commit suicide no matter what and it seemed as if he would go to extreme lengths. Shifting his eyes, Near tried to remember when he saw a fire extinguisher, but found nothing in his mind to help him.

"Don't you dare!" Mello cried out, the frown on his lips evident. He shifted the gun over to the other, a glare on his face. The control was slipping and he could do nothing about it.

"You know, if you wanted some, you could have just asked." A smile appeared on their uncle's face as he grabbed the gallon and threw the remaining contents on the blond's face. It hit his left, down to his shoulder, and part of his chest.

"Ah, shit!" Mello yelled out when it got into his eye, the hand going up to his face. The other hand was now shaking slightly as he kept it pointed at Beyond.

Near watched, knowing that now it would all be a matter of second before the scene before him played out. His eyes looked around, trying to find anything to put the gasoline out, but knew that water would only worsen it. Slowly backing away, he knew that the only way to made sure that no fire started was to get a fire extinguisher. If he could just get away from the three for a few seconds he could get to the one that was down the hall.

"It's a bit cold in here, isn't it?" Beyond said with a playful tone, grabbing the box of matches. "Why don't we heat the place up?"

"Drop it!" Mello yelled, shutting his eye tightly as he took the gun in both of his hands.

"Or what?" Black eyes looked up, stopping Near right in his tracks. "What will you do, boys? Do you three, two, or one of you think you can take my life? Do you know how much a life is to a human conscious? Do you know the effects of destroying someone in front of you? Haven't you read what happens to a person?" The smile remained as he calmly watched them. "Who will shoot me to stop me, then? Will it be you, Mihael? What about you, Mail? Or you, Nate?" The smile disappeared. "All of you are weak."

"Put the matches down." Mello ignored the rant, his eye still shut as he aimed the weapon.

Near shifted his eyes toward Mello, knowing that the accuracy of the shot wouldn't be good. He shifted his eyes over to the redhead, noticing that the gun was already out of its confinements, lying right at his side.

"Alright…" Beyond's voice trailed off in a malice manner, but it didn't take long before Matt dropped the gun completely and tackled the man to the ground.

"Matt!" Mello frowned, staring at the scene before him, his eye burning. "Shit." He looked around for anything in the room to restrain Beyond with. However, an arm wrap wrapped itself around Mello's leg as he was brought down with the fight, the gun dropping.

Near didn't need to be told twice when he kicked the weapons toward the door, watching as the three started to wrestle for dominance. He took a note of the box of matches that were being the only weapon that was holding the three to their word. It was a piece of power that any of them could take and Near slowly shifted his body closer. Matt and Mello exchanged his look as they tried to tumble Beyond away, even though the man seemed to be strong with his kicking; they would be bruised later. Reaching down without hesitation, he took the matches, but knew something wasn't right. Beyond wouldn't be this stupid, would he? Shifting his attention to them wrestling, he tried to throw the box, but was dropped when his uncle dragged him down.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on them." Matt spoke, his voice affirmative as he tried to hold Beyond's arms to the floor.

"Really, chum? Do you seriously think I'm in any position?" The voice seemed as if it was taunting – challenging, but soon their bodies were flipped as Beyond wrapped his legs around the gamer, shifting to be on top. "You really should learn new–"

"No you don't." Mello wrapped his arm around the man's neck, pulling him backwards.

Meanwhile, Beyond frowned as he tightened his hold on the smoker, his hands gripping and clawing at the tan hands. Shifting his attention, he chuckled slightly when he noticed a squirming body beneath him. "You're hurting your little brother, how cute."

"Why would you do this? Does it hurt that much?" Mello panted slightly, trying to move Beyond's body from the position to let Near out of it, but made a mistake when he loosened his hold.

"Why am I doing this? Good question." Beyond used the advantage to kick Matt off, his hand turning into a fist as he punched the man behind, pushing Mello off. Instead of taking the damsel of distress approach, he looked over at the matches. Reaching over, he tried to grab them, but was stopped by a tug of his legs. Beyond kicked, not caring who was behind him at the moment.

"You won't get away with this." Mello called out, knowing that out of the three, he had the most stamina. Tugging harder at the body below, his eyes widened when the L look-alike got on his hands into a push-up position. Quickly shifting his body and throwing it in a circle, he got out of the blond's grasp.

"You shouldn't disrespect your elders." Their raven haired uncle spoke while complete seriousness now coated his voice. "Don't you know tradition?"

"I don't roll that way." Mello frowned, looking over at Near for a second as the boy moved away from the situation. Turning his attention over to Matt, he knew that the gamer had little in him as he was sitting down in a squat, panting lightly. Turning his attention back to the man, he glared with his blue eyes. "You will never win."

"Really… are you sure?" The smile returned as dancing black eyes looked back. "What if I burned your face, Mello? Would that count as a win? You would be hideous forever; to be abandoned by the two people that you believe love you. That you believe you love. L will eventually separate you all and he won't have mercy. Do you want to know why? He'll never understand love. That man's heart got broken just like mine did." The smile widened a bit more.

"Who I love and who loves me isn't your damn business." Mello didn't make a move, watching Beyond's body language closely. He knew that he needed to contact L somehow if a stupid idiot student hadn't already with the local police.

"L isn't on your side. He never will be." Slowly shifting his body away, he tried to grab the matches again.

"Don't." The blond ordered, staring as Beyond's hand started to. "I don't care what you say."

"He'll only use you, dispose you, and move on." Dark eyes looked up. "That's what happens when you're 'back-up.' You'll never be 'successors.' You have no right to the name. I have no right to the name and L will never share his legacy. Do you really think he would choose one of you? Do you know what he'll do, Mihael? He'll pair you three up against each other or you against Nate, and then," Beyond's lips slowly became a smile once again. "Both of you will compete for his title like maniacs, trying to please him. You'll be blinded by the title, hate, and fear of failing. It'll always be like that."

"No." A stern voice came, gray eyes slightly narrowed as they showed a passionate emotion. "L knows the error of his ways and he won't make the mistake again. Even if he did, why would it concern you of what we become? It won't cause you pain unless if you see a part of yourself within us. We won't let ourselves be clouded by judgment or are we you. Two people told me that once."

The raven man stopped, staring at the gray eyes that were in front of him. "He's only manipulating you."

"What about you?" Near countered, the situation turning tables. "What have you been doing, Beyond? You've been nothing but being a criminal. If you wanted your statement to be heard from us, then you would have chosen a side with justice, not crime. If you care that much about us, then stop playing with matches. Stop threatening and stop this. Turn yourself in and be the uncle that you never were. There is only one more chance here and if you don't take it, then we'll walk away from you forever. We'll make sure that you're put behind bars and that the fullest extent to the law is used against you."

"…" He remained quiet, black eyes staring into fierce gray. He could see L behind those eyes, there was no doubt about that.

"You've hesitated long enough. I know that this isn't the plan you believed you would be successful with, am I correct? Why is that? Even though it may have been a surprised when you came here, you chose to hesitate. Your moves turned sloppy and it's unlike you."

"…" Dead silence.

"Is it because one of us reminds you of A?" Near boldly asked, not turning his attention away.

Raven eyes shifted slightly, the look of defeat behind them. A small smile twitched on the man's features. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you what I felt."

"Try us." Near said, knowing that he had the attention of Beyond right now.

"Mail's hair… the color red… the color of red, the color of strawberry jam, and the color I see on a daily basis with these eyes." Beyond began, wanting to look away from the captivating gray eyes. "The numbers above all of your heads are reminders you're going to die – they haunt me whenever I see you three. The bond you three hold with each other. Mail and Mihael, you're the best friends that are never separated. The two duos that will do anything by any means necessary. Two different personalities – uncaring and caring. Mihael and Nate, the two rivals – emotional and unemotional. The smart one that does actions within a certain amount of time, the one that is rash and is willing to take a risk due to the emotional side. Nate, the one who doesn't do anything until all the facts are presented. Mail and Nate, the ones that share a common romantic interest. The ones that are always quiet but understand each other with simple glances. It's remarkable, really. I envy that type of relationship."

"…" Near took a moment to analyze the words, then asked, "Then, A's characteristics are a part we all share?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Shifting his gaze up, he gave a small smile.

"Why does he allure you a lot?" Near questioned, knowing that he didn't want to say his real name out loud. Right now, it wasn't the time or place. He only wanted to share their names with nobody else in the world even if they knew it by choice or by another source. All he wanted to do was share it in a bedroom, between the sheets, with both of them. He disliked hearing his own name being muttered by the serial killer and it was obvious that Beyond was doing it for either one of two purposes. It was to get into their minds to manipulate them or it was because he genuinely cared. It was hard to tell since he had no mercy with the killings, but Near could see in those dark eyes something else; something that had been missing before even though Beyond had been out of character throughout almost the whole conversation.

"It's his hair… the quiet little attitude. Mihael's personality is also attractive. He works very hard just to make the grades he wants to get, but he always fails. He always comes in second. I, on the other hand, have never used that much time to study."

That had answered the earlier question, but Near felt as if it didn't answer it completely. If he saw A and all of them between them, did it pain him that much? It seemed as if Beyond had read his mind because of the next few words that came out of his mouth.

"Yes, it does pain me to see him within all of you, but it doesn't at the same time. It brings me joy too. It's confusing, right? I've been trying to deduct the skills I've needed for the conclusion, but nothing seems to ring into my mind. My eyes are blind with all I've been doing, but if I didn't go through with this, then what would I become?" Beyond's lips slightly twitched – a smile or a frown, it was hard to tell. "If I wanted to change for the better, if I wanted to follow the path of justice, not for L, but for you three, then what would it be? I would go to jail and there's no doubt that I am. I'll be executed or perhaps if they have mercy on me, give me life in prison, but what good is that?" This time, he smiled. "Why would I want to be a caged animal? I already was when I was at the stupid Wammy's House and the prison won't be any different. I dislike idiots and they all are. People will be nothing but pawns that you use to get what you want, to try and conquer. Isn't that right, Mihael?"

Mello gave a small frown at the other. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you believe that I don't know?" Beyond slightly cocked his head to the right, almost identical to L if it weren't for the gasoline that drenched his skin, hair, and clothes. "I know you work with the Mafia. I know what you do when you weren't with them. I know most if not all the moves you've done up until this point."

Near immediately knew that this was a way and a method to get into their minds. Before he gave their uncle another chance to do it, he spoke up, "How badly does it hurt?"

The raven haired man's lips twitched slightly, knowing why the conversation started to head the direction. He didn't fight it as his eyes looked downward at the ground. "Do you really want to know how badly it hurts? I know you feel, there is no doubt about that, but many people believe that you don't, don't they?"

"Correct." Near knew where this was headed, but didn't stop Beyond. It seemed as if Mello and Matt were interested in what he wanted to say or were on alert and on guard if the man tried anything.

"I know that you're quiet. You dislike the world because it's too noisy, right? You don't talk to anyone because you see no point in it anymore and the person you do want to talk to wants nothing to do with you. At least, that's how it was. Now, they want to make love to you each second of their lives." The smile twitched slightly when all of their cheeks heated up, but he continued. "You only have one friend at school, but they always call you weird. No matter what comes out of your mouth, it's always too awkward for them to comprehend and in the end, they label you before getting to know your personality, correct?"

"To some extent, yes." Near wasn't going to lie, his gaze staring at the other. "Is that how it was for you, Beyond?"

The man didn't answer that as the smile remained on his face. He shifted his attention back to the blond and one with red hair. "You have two amazing people, Nate. Don't let them go."

Why did it sound as if he was saying desperately goodbye? Things weren't adding up, but gray eyes didn't shift away from the pair of pure dark ones that imitated his father's. Mello and Matt seemed to be quiet about the situation, as if they were reading every part of Beyond that he would give up at the moment.

"Do you really care that much about our opinion?" Mello finally spoke up after a few minutes of what seemed to take ages.

Beyond shifted his attention away from Near, staring into crystal cerulean eyes. It seemed as the air thickened when he gave a small smile. "I do, but as I've said, you wouldn't believe me. Why would you believe a psychopath or sociopath when all he's done is harm? It doesn't add up and according to the books of psychology, we don't feel emotion at all. We have no remorse and we're monsters, isn't that right?" Shifting his gaze down, he stared at Mello's chest, knowing that there was a rosary there.

Almost protectively, he brought his hand up to shield it, but put it down when he saw no harm in it. "By definition, yes. You might be the lucky bastard that changes the statistic." Mello knew that these were dangerous waters and that at any time, Beyond could snap, but if they could only play the game a bit longer, then it would all be over. Did Beyond see through their game? It took a bit, but he got Near's words automatically. Matt seemed to have caught on after he did, going quiet as the game began. It seemed as if they were all playing out Beyond's fantasies in his mind, trying to ease the situation.

It was all a lie. Every word they were saying was a lie, at least, from Mello and Near's part. They were only playing the painful game of manipulating their uncle into talking into surrender while someone arrived or until they could get close enough to get him. It was all a game, a lie, a foolish lie that the raven man was falling into. They didn't believe any word he said, but yet they were playing along. It tugged at the three hearts, but in the end, that's all Beyond wanted.

"My time seems to be up." He slowly stood in a careful position, raising his hands up in the air as the smile came back onto his features.

The door carefully opened to reveal two black guns pointed; a man and a woman holding them accurately to the target that was only a few feet away.

"Beyond Birthday," The woman spoke up, she was wearing almost everything black, matching with her black hair and eyes. "You are under arrest for the murders of Believe Bridesmaid, Quarter Queen, and Backyard Bottomslash. You do not have the right to remain silent, you do not have the right to an attorney, and you do not have the right for a fair trial."

"Naomi Misora." Beyond didn't resist when the cuffs were put on him, knowing that it was L's words. "You want to know what got to me the most?"

"What is that?" Near stared at Naomi's black eyes, then shifted his attention toward Beyond. They all knew that they couldn't speak up against L's order.

"Matt's hair." He answered, careful with the alias.

"Raye… I mean Penber, pat him down." Naomi cocked her head slightly.

The man that was holding the weapon put it inside the holder, starting to feel throughout Beyond's body. He gripped the right pocket once, then gave a small frown when he felt the feel of it. Slipping his hand inside, the agent took out a small item. Pulling it up towards him, he turned on the light to the room and stared as the red object made itself known.

A red lighter.


	10. Resolution

Dice after dice was positioned in a neat way. The numbers all aligned as they stacked up high, creating towers and other buildings throughout the room. Of course, they were rather miniature. The highest tower stood around twelve inches tall, a male in the middle of all the creations. Dull gray eyes slowly moved the pale fingers, adjusting the very last one. He didn't react when he heard a snap of a treat being eaten or the way the buttons were pressed on a certain device, the sounds radiating off of it. He found the sounds both pleasant, but both annoying. Shifting a hand, he came to slowly twirl a lock of hair, gray eyes shifting up to meet crystal blue ones.

"Are you going to start staying in our room now?" The blond teenage boy asked, snapping another piece of chocolate; the delicious treat starting to slowly melt on his tongue.

Shifting his eyes around, the white-haired one noticed that all his toys were in the room, as well as a few belongings. Currently, it was Saturday and he saw no point in leaving the state he was in. There was a cozy and warm feeling to the atmosphere inside, which completely contrasted against his room – alone, cold, and pure white. Looking back into the expectant eyes, he only asked, "Do you wish for me to leave?"

"…" He didn't answer the question. Instead, he snapped another piece of chocolate off. Trailing his eyes over to the device that was giving out sounds each time it was being pressed, he gave a small shrug.

The redhead didn't say anything, continuing to tap at the buttons as if it were all muscle memory. Blue, red, and other lights flashed the orange tinted goggles that framed his eyes, his legs crossed as he was by the towers and at the edge Mello's bed. He didn't shift his gaze upwards to know that his friend was looking at him, but the game in front of him was more important at the moment. If he could push the buttons a bit faster, then he would be able to level up.

Grabbing the last die that was in the box, he turned his gaze at the pointy tip that made up the tower. Reaching over, he placed it on top, a small smile coming onto pale lips as there was a feeling of satisfaction. He ignored the pair of crystal blue eyes that were on him, but he couldn't ignore the footsteps that were from outside the door.

"Excuse me, boys." The door opened to reveal a man, but with that, a chain reaction happened.

Two small buildings that were made up of dice completely fell, then they took the connecting buildings down with them. For ten seconds, there was no sound as the three pair of blue, gray, and black eyes watched the metropolis slowly collapse. The video game console was the only system out of the three that kept making noises. The sounds were throughout the entire room, buttons being pressed harsher and fiercer.

"Yeah, L?" Mello shifted his attention over to their father. Another piece of chocolate was bitten was he looked into the raven dark eyes.

"It's been a few weeks since Beyond's arrest," He started, pausing slightly for effect before continuing, "I'm going out to visit him to discuss a few things. I'll be back late tonight, children." He gave a small smile before turning his attention away from them and walked off, the door closing gently behind him.

_That's the code we created when we sighed that contract weeks ago with L after Beyond's arrest. He is giving us the time to have sexual relations._

Near shifted his attention over to the individuals that were on the bed and at the side of the bed, distracted by their own doings. He waited a few moments before starting to pack up the dices in neat little piles that the box contained. If it were any other situation, then he would align them all up for the numbers to match, but he knew that would take a decent amount of time. Shifting his attention, he could see that Mello's pupils were rather large with sexual arousal. His heart started to race as he continued to put the dice away, noticing that Matt wasn't doing anything about it. It had been a while since their last encounter and from what the blond adoptive brother had proposed; now it was their turn to face the gamer.

After all of the dice had been put back into their place, the gray orbs shifted themselves onto the eager blue ones. The silent agreement was given, both individuals knowing what was to come. Shifting his body, he stood up and sat on the bed. _It's amusing. Weeks ago, I would never have thought of doing this. I would have never thought of sharing my body with these two. If someone would have told me what was going to happen, then I would have thought of it as a sick practical joke, but now, it's surreal at times. I wonder, how did two people I wouldn't even give the time of day, give my heart to? Mello, my past rival, is now my lover. Matt, the silent and cocky best friend of my rival, is also my lover. It's amazing because they made me see the certain light – the light that is unjust; the light that I chose to break the law for them. Incest is a crime as well as a social taboo. Add in the factor that homosexuality is also a taboo and it causes chaos. Linda is still learning how to cope – I can see it her eyes, but it isn't only her. L's trying to cope with this issue too. He's trying to be as flexible as possible. I can see the doubt and hindering emotions of what he wants to do. He wants to spend more time with us, as if that would somehow break the cycle and the romantic and sexual relationship we have._

His attention was quickly diverted away when he felt the passionate blue eyes. The thoughts that ran to his mind came to a halt as Mello gave a signal, a secret command as if he was ready. Giving a very small nod, a small smile came onto his lips. For once, he didn't feel alone nor did he feel isolated from anyone. Even if the entire school didn't want to be his friend or if Linda left, then he wouldn't care. Part of him knew that he wouldn't care either if L left. He only needed the two individuals in front of him and those are the only ones he wanted.

"Matt." Mello started, using the adoptive name that started out as an alias at the Wammy's House. "Get up."

"Mmm." The redhead didn't make much sound after that, continuing to look at the colorful screen that was presented before him. The gloved hands kept pressing buttons, pushing them down without hesitation – quick and simple strokes. Sounds of the device were the only one that echoed throughout the room, green eyes that were hidden behind the device were too concentrated.

"Matt." Came a sterner voice, the command powerful.

"I'm almost done, man. Hold on." He spoke a bit with more possession, his fingers continuing to hide themselves across the console of the game.

"Bed, now." The order came; quick, swift, and to the point.

Nervousness was starting to settle in as Near wanted to shift in his seat, but held back from showing it. Instead, he stared a bit curiously at the two, wondering what was going to happen. It was obvious that the redhead usually did what the blond wanted, but when a video game was in front of him, it was hard to tear him off the screen. Shifting his gray eyes with a bored look from one to the other, he stared at the screen. There was a little green figure that looked human, walking around in a forest of some kind. Shifting a small brow, he wondered how they could level up, but didn't question it. Shifting his eyes a bit more, he took note of the hearts on the screen, taking them for life points, but before he had time to count how many or see how many were in total, the game was moved from view.

Mello's hand pushed a button and saved it, quickly shifting it. "Matt." He tried again, staring at the redhead.

"…" At that, the smoker stared at him. A small frown came onto his features. "Mels…" He said in a tone.

It was as if both were transmitting their frustration through their single words, but he didn't have time to analyze what else they were saying with their body language or what the other did when a black and red shirt was grabbed by the invisible collar. He wanted to shift his eyes away, but it was as if something held him back – perhaps it was the kiss. He watched at how Matt was quickly to react, pushing the blond back on the bed and straddling between the chocoholic's legs, easing himself comfortably. The kiss was now fiercer, tongues battling inside for dominance while giving a small view. It wasn't long before red locks of hair were covering a tanned neck, sounds of kisses and lewd sounds traveling through the air.

"Matt." Mello gasped slightly, finally showing emotion from submission. Fingers intertwined themselves in hair, fingers locking themselves tightly. A small smile came onto his features as he heard the satisfied groan coming from the other. Shifting his body slightly, he grinded his hips their hips together slowly.

The action was smooth, sensual, and full of grace. There was no error at all, at least, from what Near could tell. His eyes stared at their hips kept moving on their own, a small part of him being fascinated by the way the two were moving. Small grunts and moans filled his ear soon as he shifted his eyes again, staring at Mello's expressions. He couldn't see Matt's as they were still giving kisses to the neck before him, but he noticed that when the blond tugged at his hair, it was as if it was a moan button. He was surprised when Mello started to pull away while a slight wave of confusion hit his features other than the arousal, but he said nothing. "…"

"What?" Matt panted a bit, pulling back to watch the blue eyes that were pulling away.

"You don't remember, Matt? Now, get on your back." He sat up and shifted away.

Rather confused about the situation, Matt did nothing but comply. He shifted his body to lie down on the bed, his eyes trained on the blond. "Mels?"

"You'll feel." The minimal explanation was given as black fingernails disappeared through the drawer that was opened. Two items were taken out as it was closed.

Near shifted his attention to the items, eyes widening slightly at the action that was in front of them. Staring down when Mello put them down, he stared at the piece of rag with slight confusion, then turned his attention over to the rope. It would have been clear if he had done further research into fetishes or whatever this was, but part of his mind wasn't sure. He waited and turned his attention up to the blond, wondering what he was going to do.

"Lift your arms and put them together at the wrist." Mello commanded, grabbing the rope.

Matt's lips twitched slightly upwards, his eyes turning a bit brighter at the command. "Bondage again?" Doing as he was told, he held out the wrists eagerly to him.

"Of course, what else do you think it is?" He returned the small smirk, tying the hands together. He tugged at the rope after it was in a neat knot, grabbing the white cloth. It seemed as if he hesitated at the last move since he put it down again. Turning his attention over to Near, he wiggled his finger toward himself, expecting the other to follow command. "C'mere."

Near wondered what he was up to, but instead of asking questions to waste time, he slowly shifted from his seat. He wasn't surprised when two arms wrapped themselves around his delicate and petite waist. Lips on his own, he closed his eyes slightly and followed, stopping at the edge of Matt's body. Opening his gray eye slightly, he watched as the eyes in front of him were closed, but the eyes that stared were the jade green. Shifting his eye a bit, he continued to move his tongue across gently Mello's, trying to savor the moment. Closing his eye, he let out a small breathy moan when a hand cupped his hardness through his faded jeans.

"Fuck, Mels, you tease." Matt's strained voice called out from under them.

Before Near had time to react to that, his body was slightly shifted. Mello's hips straddled the smoker's legs while Near's were directed lined up with his waist. Black fingernails slowly made their way up the white delicate shirt from behind, the gentle kisses continuing as chocolate and the bland taste continued to mix with a very small amount of smoke. Gray eyes closed completely, following the other's lead. Holding onto the shoulders in front of him, he shifted his mouth a bit more to make the kiss deeper, but felt his breath hitch as two hands cupped his rear. Both hands squeezed, groping while hips slowly started to move. While Near held his small moan inside, he could hear Matt groan below him. The reaction caused a small smirk on the blond's lips.

The grinding stopped, which seemed to have distaste for all of them. Pulling back from Mello, he gave a small pant of air. Closing his eyes slightly to enjoy the flavor of chocolate in his mouth, though small, he shivered when hot breath was whispered into his ear, "Touch him."

Gray eyes stared into fierce heated icy blue. Looking down at the bulge that was between them, Near wondered what he could do to pleasure the man they were using as a seat. Slowly shifting his pale hand down, eyes trailed down the fabric of the Matt's jeans. Hand over the hardened organ, he started to rub lightly by applying pressure to the area. His breath slightly hitched as Matt's body shifted under him, a small groan was given. _Is he this turned on by bondage? Does he like being used and being at our mercy? No, right now, we're both at Mello's mercy. He's the one in control even though he was the one being submissive, but why? I should read articles on this later._

Turning his attention back to the task at hand, he pulled lightly at the belt. Starting to unbuckle it, his ear listened as Matt's breath hitched in his throat. He took a small note when Mello climbed off the bed, disappearing at his back. Shifting his head slightly to the right, he noticed that the white cloth had been taken to cover the gamer's eyes. His gray eyes went back to the belt, successfully unhooking it. Opening the button and pulling the zipper upwards, he felt a small heat dust his cheeks. Moving up and down slightly due to Matt's breathing and breath hitching, he moved the fabric slowly. Slipping his cold hand inside, he wasn't surprised when he heard a grunt from behind him.

Gray eyes slightly widened at the sensations in front of him. He had his hand over Matt's base, but at the palm of his hand, there was wetness. His cheeks dusted a bit more as his eyes trailed down to see nothing but fabric. Gripping the base lightly with his hand, he shifted all of the fabric aside to take him outside. Slowly moving his hand up and down, he felt Matt's chest rise up and down more quickly. Looking at the very tip, he remembered a few articles he had read prior. Rubbing his thumb slightly over the slit, he felt his finger quickly being coated with invisible liquid.

"Ah, fuck." The redhead's voice broke through the silence of the room. Hips quickly started to buckle upwards, wanting to cause more friction. "Don't fucking tease me." He gasped slightly, panting as his nerves were crying out for more attention.

He was about to open his mouth to speak, but a finger that had black nail polish stopped outside of his mouth. Looking up into Mello's eyes, he looked down at Mello's hand that gave a simple command by the flick of the wrist. Getting off, he stared at the blond a bit questioningly, but when his body was pinned down besides the redhead's, he knew what was going to happen. When the hand didn't hold back as it came under his waistband, a small gasp was given. Closing his eyes, he gave a small moan from his lips.

"Matt, he's wet. He's real wet." Mello shifted his gaze over.

"Fuck," The breathy response came. "Mello, Near, just… untie me."

"No."

Near gave a small pant, but let out a small moan. It was greeted by a small groan from Matt. He went quiet when Mello whispered a command to his ear, "Ride him."

Knowing that before the incident with Beyond that he would follow his lead, he slowly sat his body up. He felt a bit tired by the stimulation, but would keep up. Shifting his body toward Matt's again, he lightly tugged at the stripped shirt.

"Mmm… who's on top of me?" Matt questioned, slightly pulling at the rope on his hands.

Near didn't need to be told to stay quiet for that. He was catching on to Mello's little teasing games that could be called boarder-line sadistic, but he didn't mind. His foggy mind was controlling most of him now. Shifting his own pants down slightly, he felt a bit nervous at the action. He had never done it before, but had read a bit on. Moving his body over Matt's tip, his breath hitched slightly. It seemed that the gamer knew and didn't move, holding completely still.

Slowly moving down and feeling his walls stretched at the invasion, a small gasp escaped his lips. Gray eyes hid behind pale lids as the body started to move, but he didn't have time to adjust as hips gave a thrust upwards, completely filling the boy. A moan escaped his own lips as he held onto Matt's chest. "Wait…" Near tried to command, his voice small and fragile.

Teeth grinded against each other in front of him as fingers tried to grip anything that was possible. Immediately, Matt remained in his place, his voice panting as his face looked a bit strained. "Fuck…"

The white-haired boy had never heard as many profanities from the other individual before and it was a bit shocking, but he pushed it aside. The feeling was foreign and as he was trying to adjust, a hand came to his white snowy locks to be pushed down. Gray eyes didn't need to look over as it was obvious who had done it.

A groan escaped from Matt's throat at the action, teeth grinding harder as he did everything in his power to hold back.

"This is going to hurt, but relax." Mello spoke, grabbing the thin hips that were in front of him. "Near, ready?"

Pant after pant was released as he knew what was coming. There was only one other thing and he didn't complain. Knowing the answer almost immediately, he tried to relax his body even more than it already was. "Yes."

"Wait, what?" Matt asked through his blind heated haze.

"Hold still."

"Wait, Mels–"

Almost immediately after that, the pain came. He quickly tightened his walls around Mello's length as it joined with Matt's own. Fingers gripped the white sheets as his Near's breath hitched in his throat. He tried to control his body, mostly when Matt gave a loud groan at the tightness, but his body tightened a bit more. Mello stopped about half-way, Near's small and frail body panting as he tried to relax. He could hear Matt's small groans and little curses by his ear, which encouraged him to try and relax faster. Slowly letting go of the white sheets, he remained still.

"Ah, fuck." Matt panted, the friction and actions from the blond and white-haired individual becoming too unbearable. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." He panted, his gloved hands trying to gripe at the rope that held them together.

"Endure it." Mello muttered, his own teeth grinding at the sensations that his lower body was giving him.

"You may move now." Near gave a small pant, knowing that there was a long way for pleasure. He continued to pant, feeling his cheeks dusted with red as realization was starting to hit that he had both of them inside his body; however, the thought was quickly gone as he felt the other move in deeper. Gripping the sheets tightly, he started to breathe a bit hard, trying to control the sounds and pain in his mind. Matt's groaning by his ear gave him slight encouragements alongside with Mello's moans from behind. When Mello stopped when he was all the way inside, he was thankful as his body continued to react to the pain and pleasure.

"Near… you're so damn tight." Mello muttered, his bangs falling on Matt's cheeks as he rested his head on Near's shoulder.

"…" Near panted, trying to think of what to respond to that when he felt the pain and pleasure at the same time. Relaxing after a few more seconds, he gave out a small, "Move."

"Which one?" Matt panted, sweat obvious on the other's body.

"Both of you." Near answered, bracing himself for what was to come. "Gently, if you may."

"Of course." The gamer answered again, even though his voice was strained. His hands were slightly shaking at the top.

Soon, the three bodies started to move fluidly among the other. Mello started it off by slowly starting to thrust in and out, a small moan coming from his lips now and then. Matt followed by grunting and trying to hold back to the best of his abilities. Meanwhile, the gentleness combined with the slowness gave Near small waves of pleasure that were accompanied by waves of pain. The sounds of the other two were in his ear as he tried to concentrate on them. Beads of sweat slowly lined his own forehead as he continued to concentrate. After a few minutes, the pain started to dull as his body relaxed. A very small moan that made the other two stop in their tracks caught their attention.

"Did we find it?" Mello panted, asking the question that was also on the gamer's mind.

"Yes," Near breathed, his eyes closing. "Go ahead, you don't need to hold back. I'm not a woman or a girl. I'll be fine. There's no need to be as gentle with me."

"…" Both of them didn't say anything. Near wondered what was going through their minds, but he didn't need to be told twice when the action came from both of them. Part of him almost regretted the decision of saying such a thing, but he wouldn't go back and say it again. His pride was on the line.

As Matt pulled almost all the way out, Mello remained inside. As the gamer gave a hard thrust inside, the blond followed in suit. Their thrusting went in opposite directions, the younger one's inner walls never given a break.

"Ah, fuck, yes!" Matt groaned at the satisfaction, his hips continuing to move against the pale one that was above him.

He had planned to keep all the moans inside, but they started to slip more and more. His lips parted as pants, moans, and even a few grunts escaped. Near's head was swimming with pleasure at all the sensations. They seemed to be taking approval in the sounds that were coming out of his mouth as they began to work harder and faster. Near's body moved involuntarily as they continued to assault his body in the pleasurable possible way. The pain was starting to fade away as pleasure started to replace it. Moan after moan escaped his own lips, his eyes closing in the process. He had nothing to hang onto but the sweaty chest that was in front of him. Shifting his hands to both places, Near's right hand entangled itself into red locks of hair while his left hand entangled itself in beautiful golden hair. It seemed to have set off a reaction because now both bodies were thrusting merciless into his after the moans came from the semi-harsh hair gripping.

"Ah, hah!" He moaned, not being able to contain himself. He let out a loud groan when his prostate was hit. The second hit was even harder, the third being the same. He wasn't sure who was who at this point, his mind swimming in ecstasy. Near wasn't even sure whose moan he should have moaned first, but the name that came out of his subconscious was, "Matt!" Gripping the locks of hair tighter, he moaned the other's name next. "Mello!" The reaction that he received was that both adoptive brothers went in even harder. His body kept moving back and forth, the sensations becoming overwhelming that moans started to drop out of his mouth non-stop.

"Mels! Near!" Matt grunted, his hips continuing to move, the friction becoming unbearable.

"Matt, Near!" Mello moaned, black fingernails digging slightly into pale flesh.

Near's body felt as if it was going over the edge with all the pleasurable sensations. The two inside of him were staring to move more fluidly against the other, the lubricant being their own bodily fluids; the sensations came more and more intense with each thrust, his whole body tensed with pleasure. In the spur of the moment, fingers gripped tightly at the hair and pulled. His body tensed up at all the sensations, his walls suffocating both men that were inside. "Ah!" He gave a small cry, his body jolting with pure pleasure as he came all over Matt's chest and his own, the warmness making both men shiver. Within seconds, he felt two final thrusts from the two boys, his insides filling up with the same sensations he had.

"Fuck…" Matt panted, starting to ride out the post-orgasm euphoric sensations.

"That was…" Mello tried speaking, his own lungs in need of air and oxygen.

"Amazing." Near muttered, his eyelids becoming too heavy to keep open.

"It was." Matt agreed.

The three didn't make any move to move from their current position. They remained still, holding each other as their breathes came down from the exercise that they had participated in. The noise that made all of their muscles tense, though, was the sound of footsteps walking around outside the door.

"That can't be…" Mello started, feeling the heat coming to his cheeks as he turned his attention over to the door. Looking down, blue eyes could see the shadow of a figure walking around.

"It is." Near didn't open his eyes, knowing that no other man could have been the culprit for being in the house.

"Do you think he heard us?" Matt started, wanting to look around his surroundings. "I thought he would give us more time or did we take long, Mels?"

"I don't know." Mello slowly shifted his body, pulling out of Near.

Near gave a small shiver at the sensations, but pulled away from Matt – the same reaction repeating itself. Moving to sit on the bed, he started to untie the blindfold off. Moving it away, he stared into the green eyes that he couldn't help but be attracted to.

Meanwhile, Mello untied the redhead's hands. Sitting on the bed, his eyes looked over to the door. "I think he heard." Moving, he adjusted his pants like the two of them did.

It didn't take long for them to be fully redressed, but just as Matt finished pulling down his stripped shirt, the door opened.

"Excuse me, boys." L walked in, ignoring the smell of sex and sweat in the air. He shifted his attention from one to the other, taking in their physical appearance. Mello had red cheeks while his shoulders were slightly tense, his arms coming up to cross over themselves as if they were defending themselves. Meanwhile, Near's eyes had a small gloss to them while his white button-up was slightly askew. As for Matt, he had his goggles around his neck that were slightly askew, locks of hair that were stuck to his forehead, and his green eyes didn't seem bored at all – they were lively at the moment.

"What is it?" Near asked, knowing that Mello had gone through enough with L just standing there.

"Well, I was wondering." L trailed his eyes toward the cupcake that was in front of his eyes. He poked at the strawberry frosting, bringing some up to lick from his finger. Looking over at the three individuals, his eyes were dead on with the wall behind them, almost as if he didn't want to stare into their eyes. "If you three wanted to go to the toy store anytime soon."

This made the three a bit confused.

"Toy store?" Mello finally asked, doubt and bewilderment throughout his expression.

"Yes, also video game store." L shifted his fingers to the pink cupcake again. Grabbing more frosting, he licked it off his digits. It proved to be time consuming and he decided to bite off a piece of the delicious sugary treat.

"Video game store?" Matt perked up at that, his eyes staring expectantly.

"And a candy store that has all types of chocolate." L tried to speak, the frosting catching in the way of his tongue.

"We're going to a candy store?" Mello asked a bit confused.

"If you three agree, yes." L kept the frosting in his mouth, savoring the taste. "Hmm…" Shifting his eyes toward it as if it was a precious jewel, he turned his attention back to the three. "Well, what do you three say to the event?"

"Right now?" Matt asked, his body voicing how tired he was.

Near thought about the situation and why L wanted to do the kind gesture. _Why is he bringing this up now? Is it because he wants to be a better parent? Is it because he lost Beyond to the life of crime? Or is it because he lost both Beyond and A? This seems rather relevant or is he just trying to be the better parent that he never was with small, simple, and minute gestures?_

"No, but later on. We can try to set a date." L continued on as if he wasn't affected by the question, swallowing the delicious frosting.

Deciding that Mello wouldn't voice the question, Near asked it instead, "What happened at the prison?"

L averted his eyes from the cupcake up to expectant gray eyes that were watching him closely. Mello seemed to have wanted to say something, but he quickly cut off his son, "You seem to be very observant. Very well, I'll tell you. I went to the prison and they found him dead."

All silence was throughout the room as the moods around the room completely dropped. It seemed as if L wasn't affected by the least, but the three could see beyond the mask. They could see the saddened black eyes that wanted to show emotion but were holding back from such event from taking place.

"What?" Mello asked, complete disbelief throughout his tone of voice.

"They found Beyond Birthday dead." L repeated, the cupcake being abandoned by the tongue that wanted to continue licking it. "There was no note and no, he did not hang himself. It seems as if someone poisoned him of some sort as he died from a heart attack. At least, that's my assumption. Right now he's at the morgue for an autopsy."

"You knew this was coming." Mello spoke, reading through L's words.

"Yes." L shifted his gaze elsewhere. "I was aware that this type of situation would happen in prison. You see, he was roomed near Light Yagami. Also, he had a few enemies." Dark eyes shifted back to crystal blue irises. "Other than Naomi Misora, Raye Penber, Light Yagami, and Sayu Yagami, but there are also a few others; Light's mother and father, even though I doubt that they would be capable of such a crime. There were also inmates he would have to deal with, officers, and other people."

"L…" Mello started, seeing the other's face drop. "Don't analyze it and mourn for him."

"I don't have time to mourn." Shifting his gaze, the stubbornness was throughout his features. "Would you three like to go to the store this Friday or the funeral on Thursday? I'll be taking a day off, you see. Wammy and Roger would like to also see you children."

Mello seemed to have paused a bit before answering. Near knew that it was an insult directed toward Roger, but the answer didn't take him by surprise, "The funeral on Thursday."

"Alright, then I'll get it planned for it to be after school." L's hand gripped the golden knob at the door. As he was about to close it, he stopped when a voice called out to him.

"L." Mello managed, staring at the man he admired and thought of an idol. When he noticed that L wasn't going to turn around, he seemed to hesitate and instead said, "Are they coming to the funeral?"

"They will be." L turned his head slightly, a small smile forming on his features.

Near wanted to ask a question, but it seemed as if the man he respected was too defeated. Instead of asking if he had heard them or not, it seemed obvious that L did by the way he was reacting calmly to the situation. Near wondered if L's heart had been broken beyond repair to drag his attention to what the three had done. Watching as the man closed the door behind himself with a gentle gesture, he didn't say anything for a long time, the silence coming between the three.

"Matt, you're not going to whine when we go." Mello spoke up first.

"I wasn't planning to, Mels." Matt's gentle voice came, the message had been clear. A small smile graced his lips as he wrapped his arms around the blond, pulling him into a hug and planting a small kiss on his adoptive brother's lips. "You're hurting too, aren't you?"

"…" Defeat was shown when he didn't say anything back to the gamer.

Near didn't mind and followed their movements when they lay down. Shifting his eyes toward the wall, he could smell cigarettes and a very small hint of chocolate in the sheets. Near continued to stare at the wall, knowing that at the other side of the wall of Matt's bed, there was L's room. Turning his attention over to the wall, he stared at Mello's bed and at the wall. A few weeks ago he had been on the other side, glaring at the wall for lack of sleep. Feeling a wave of tiredness, he turned his attention to the couple that was hugging each other close, their eyes finally closed.

The white-haired boy shifted a bit away, wanting to rest, but felt an arm wrap arm around his torso and a stern pull. Eyes opened slightly as he turned his head to meet a pair of blue eyes that were watching him. A silent command was given that Near didn't mind following. Shifting his body to the other, he wrapped his arm lazily back. He wondered how Matt knew how to comfort, but it seemed to satisfy the blond enough. Closing his eyes, he let himself drift to sleep. Three words rang over and over in his mind as he wanted to say them, but knew that right now wasn't the time.

The next four days, a Thursday, the three were a bit late. They made it through the door before the bell had rung, but it caught everyone's attention. The three ignored the looks as they made it to their seat. The anthropology teacher gave Matt and Mello a serious look, then a concern look toward Near. However, it quickly changed when she caught green eyes that were hidden behind orange goggles. She gave a voice to what her expressions were portraying, "Matt Lawliet, I would like to see you after my class."

Blue eyes looked over to the teacher, then to the gamer. It was obvious that she had caught something that he wasn't aware, which aroused suspicion and a bit of worry even though the icy blue eyes did anything but show it. What did she notice? Thinking back to the behavior that the smoker had given, Mello wondered if anything had to do with it.

Near was already a step ahead with his own conclusion. He had caught Matt smoking more and more than he was used to. It turned into a pack of smoke a day and during the intimate time they had together four days ago, he kept playing the game, not listening to Mello's orders at all. That seemed to be the very first sign of it all, but he didn't bother go look into it and investigate, giving him a chance to explain himself, but the explanation had still not arrived.

As the bell rang, the three boys went into their usual routine. However, it seemed as if Matt was concentrated on the game console that was under the desk rather than the lecture notes or sleeping. It caught Mello's and Near's attention, but they didn't try to speak to him.

"Matt." The professor gave a look of worry, but a frown came onto her lips as she noticed the glowing glint on the lenses of his goggles. "I would rather have you sleeping than playing a video game."

"Mm." Came the response, the cockiness coating through it.

She didn't waste time in giving him time when she walked over and held out her hand. "Hand it over. I'll give it to you later."

"No." Green eyes didn't even look up.

The class went dead silent.

"Matt…" She warned, sternness in her voice.

It seemed as if he had a moment of realization as he saved his game, turned it off, and handed the device over. Green eyes looked up into the pair of hazel. The smile didn't come to his lips as it usually would, "Sorry."

Worried eyes turned back at him as her bottom lip slightly pushed upward. Shaking her head a bit, she walked over to the desk and set down the black device down. Ignoring the students, she clicked on the slide. "Now, class, before, we were on anthropological kinships. I missed an important part of the lesson."

Near knew that it was three weeks ago. His eyes shifted from Matt toward the screen, staring at the white letters on the board that read, 'Fictive Kinship.'

A girl raised her hand at the double words on the board. "Excuse me, professor, but doesn't 'fictive' mean 'fictional,' and 'not real,' as in being created by imagination?" It was obvious that the girl was a teacher's pet or that she would be a major in English.

"Yes, it means that in the English dictionary. However, we are not using it that way." She clicked on her clicker, letting the bullet points appear on the slide. "In anthropological terms, a 'fictive kinship' is a kinship that used to describe relationships that are not based on social ties. It's not consanguinal, which is by blood, or affinal, which is by marriage. They are formed by adoption."

It seemed that it hit a nerve as ungloved hands gripped at the desks two to the right. Gray and blue immediately caught on, noticing the distress that the other seemed to be holding inside. His hands didn't loosen throughout the small lecture of fictive kinships, but they did seem to loosen up when the professor started to talk about anthropology in the modern era. Near didn't pay too much attention, nothing of it catching his interest. Forensic anthropology pictures were mostly shown to emphasis the field of justice, which seemed to trigger a small reaction from the redhead.

"Class is dismissed when the bell rings. Matt, come here." The professor sternly said as her heals clicked on the floor.

He slowly got up and grabbed his backpack, his lazy demeanor showing how much he truly cared about the device; he didn't even notice the students rushing out.

She handed over the device, hazel eyes trying to search green ones, "You've been playing with this all week. You usually have self-control. Are you alright? Is anything going on at home?"

"My uncle died." He answered, taking the device from her. "We're going to his funeral today."

"…" She remained quiet, almost as she had been regretful of her words, but didn't let the silence continue. "Matt, just this once, I'll let you keep the game. This is only one out of two warnings, do you understand me?"

"…" Matt didn't reply, his fingers moving across the gaming system.

"I'm sorry for your loss." The professor spoke, watching as he exited the room, but he paused slightly.

"Thanks." The smoker said half-heartedly before walking away.

Mello and Near followed closely behind, the blond reaching out to grab his forearm. "Matt, we need to talk about this."

"I don't want to, Mels." He shrugged off the grip.

"Nia!" Linda's voice called out as she quickly ran over, a small smile on her face. "How are you?"

"Why can't you just leave us alone for one fucking day?"

Brown and gray eyes looked over to the source. It wasn't Mello that had said it, but the gentle, quiet boy, Matt.

"I…" Linda started, but he quickly cut her off.

"Do you mind leaving us alone? I would appreciate it. I don't have enough stamina to listen to your obnoxious voice today." He spoke, his eyes not darting off of the game.

Mello was remained quiet, a bit speechless by the other's change in attitude.

"Linda, may we socially interact later?" Near spoke, his attention turning over to the girl. "You see, we–"

"It's none of her business, Near." Matt continued to play the game, annoyance now coating his voice.

"Don't worry, I get it." Linda gave a small smile toward the white-haired boy. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" With that, she quickly walked away, toward her locker.

"The fuck, Matt? First you call her cute and now you're telling her to fuck off?" Mello finally questioned, disbelief throughout his features.

"I'm sorry I'm the only one affected by the damn funeral." Green eyes shot upward, a small glare behind them. "You know, some things mean more to me than others." He quickly walked away, toward the next class.

"The hell?" Mello voiced.

"I'm sure he didn't mean the way you did. Beyond may have been a figure in his life that he gave a lot of credit to that we are not taking into account." Near tried to reason, secretly knowing that the real reason was because Beyond had gotten into Matt's mind. Mello already knew, concluding the same.

"Yeah, I know what he means. I know he doesn't mean us. He's not that much of an idiot. Come on, before your stupid girlfriend shows up again." Mello walked away, following the redhead.

As time passed, the three were picked up from school from Watari and Roger. L was nowhere to be seen, which the three felt odd.

"Good afternoon, young gentlemen." Roger started, a small smile on his face.

Mello would have made a remark there and then, but due to Matt's aura around him, he held back from such a comment. Instead, he offered up a small nod. Watari and Roger didn't even react, knowing how the three boys were probably reacting.

"Good afternoon." Near spoke for them, getting in the back of the car.

Matt sat in the middle, which Mello and Near subconsciously agreed on. They gently wrapped their arms around both of his, trying to show affection in their own way – the pain evident in the air.

Soon, they were back at the home. L was already there, trying his best to tie the necktie around his neck properly. He kept struggling, his eyes looking over as the five walked through the door. "Your suits are already upstairs and tailored. Please get dressed quickly."

It was almost silence after that. The three didn't speak or say anything. They followed command – putting on the suits in the bedroom. Matt stood with his figure: black shirt, tie, pants, shoes, and blazer. He removed his orange goggles, letting his green eyes shine. Setting them on the counter, he also put the video game console next to him.

No words were exchanged as Mello slowly changed. He kept his eyes looking at the sad emerald irises that had lost their glossy jewel shine. Slipping on a black shirt, vest, tie, blazer, and shoes, he sat next to him. Wrapping an arm around him, they both waited for Near who was currently changing in the bathroom. Leaning over, there was a small gentle kiss placed on the redhead's right cheek.

A few seconds later, the boy that barely wore anything black was almost covered in it. A white-button up shirt, black blazer, pants, and shoes covered his pale frame. "Are we ready to go?" His monotone voice broke through the quietness of the room.

"Yeah," Matt spoke for the two, pulling away from Mello's affection and grasp. Walking down the stairs, he noticed that L's, Watari's, and Roger's outfits looked almost identical to Near's.

The trip to the cemetery was a quiet one for the three boys in the back. Meanwhile, in the front of the car, L, Roger, and Watari gave small chatter. They spoke about the weather, how they were, and what they were going to do the day after. Mello's hand slowly wrapped itself around Matt's, which was gripped back with the same type of affection. Near noticed even though the redhead was looking out the window. Staying at the other side of Mello's side, he wondered how to comfort the gamer. Slowly reaching over the choholic's body, he placed his hand above theirs. Somehow, fingers made themselves entangled as fifteen digits tried their best to show the gentlest affection of comfort for the sorrowful heart that was mourning already.

Even though five out of the six men weren't religious at all, there was a priest. His name was mentioned, but it was quickly forgotten by most of them there. The words were spoken, the words slipping through ears as the voice barely showed any heartfelt meaning. It seemed as if it was all repetitious and ritual. The casket was in front of the body, waiting to be said goodbye to. They were already near the hole that he would be buried in.

Watari and Roger listened to the priest's words, hanging their heads as they paid respectful prayers. Meanwhile, L's eyes blankly stared at the casket in front of him. He could barely listen to the priest as slowly, his gaze turned down to the white flower that was in his hand. He gently twirled it around in his features, his eyes showing sadness a few seconds later. Matt was staring blankly at the hole of soil, his eyes trailing up now and then to look at the wooden casket. Near's blank eyes tried to look at the priest, but the only things his eyes remained on were the rosary that was next to him. Mello was listening to the priest's words intently, his eyes closed as he gripped the rosary around his neck. It was a gentle grip, but it held a lot of meaning behind.

As the priest finished his speech, he gave a small nod to the men and walked away from the spot. He would give them their time alone. There was no eulogy spoken, no any ceremony that they would participate in.

Instead, Watari made the first move to slowly walk over to the casket. Putting his rose down, there was a small smile onto his lips as he spoke, "May you rest in peace, Beyond." His hand remained on the casket as the smile disappeared, sadness finally coming across his old gaze. Shifting his hand a bit over the wood, he gave it a gentle tap and walked back toward the spot he was at.

Next, Roger made his move. He put the flower down, his heart aching in his chest. "You were a good boy for a rebellious one. I will never forget you, Beyond. May you rest in peace." He remained at the spot for a while longer before painstakingly pulling away. It seemed that with each step he gave, there was a pain to his heart.

L made his move as shoes covered the small distance. The flower was put down on top of the others, starting to make a bouquet; however, no words were said. Sadness barely lingered in his dark eyes as he tried to conceal it the best to his ability. "…" Moving back to his spot, he remained there as he brought up his hand. Biting lightly on the thumb, he stared at the casket, as if he was still talking and saying his own prayer.

Matt bravely took a step forward after that. Slowly, he put the flower down. His sad emerald eyes watched as his flower joined with the rest. Only a single sentence was uttered, "Thanks for teaching me what I know even though you weren't the best role model. Rest in peace, Beyond." Corners of his lips twitched slightly upwards at the small humorous joke that he had said. None of them laughed, of course, but it seemed as if his old self was slowly starting to come back.

Mello and Near didn't wait for Matt to move back to his spot. Feet slowly walked over to the individual, two hands coming up to the back of their adoptive brother. Putting down the flowers, their eyes lingered on the half-bouquet in front of them.

"Rest in peace, wherever you are, Beyond." Mello was the first to say, his words seeming to lack a few feelings, almost as if he was holding back another phrase.

"Rest in peace." Near said, not knowing what else to say other than the words that had been repeated four times other than his own. He wasn't good at funerals and it finally showed.

Soon, the three adults that were behind them came up. They stood a good distance, none of them saying anything for a while. The moment wasn't ruined as the sadness coursed through their hearts at the beloved criminal leaving them behind.

"He's in a better place." Roger spoke, the sadness not being able to hide throughout his features.

Mello bit back a remark, staring at the casket in front of him. Instead, he agreed with the man that he disliked back at the orphanage, "Yeah, he is."

"Is he going to be buried next to A?" Matt spoke up, his green eyes looking back at the raven eyes that were blankly staring into space.

"Oh?" L snapped out of it, the biting of his nail continued. "Yes. It may seem a bit strange, but the funeral was only held here. His body will be moved and he will be buried where I will be in the future."

"Are you going to tell us where that is?" Matt asked another question.

"No, not yet." L shifted his attention back to the flowers, idly biting on his finger. "Only we know of the location. When I believe that you three are ready, then I'll tell you."

"I don't care as long as he's buried next to A." Matt shifted his attention back.

The gamer didn't mind when another pair of hands were on his back. However, he slightly froze when there was another one. Shifting his eyes back a bit, he noticed that L was slightly towering over his shoulder.

The six of them stayed like that for a few moments. Each of them was reflecting silently on what they had done wrong, right, and the good times that the man had done – which were very few memories. There was no reaction for a few more minutes, but then Near noticed it. Immediately, Mello's eyes also noticed.

A single tear slowly slid down L's face. His eyes were blank with a very small hint of sadness as there was a small nibble. However, Mello and Near didn't expect for the unexpected tears to fall from the green emerald eyes. It seemed as if Mello was conflicted on who to comfort at the time like this. He moved, pulling his hands to wrap tightly both around both individuals. Matt didn't need another sign to wrap his arms around the blond as he hid his face on the black clothed shoulder, his tears flowing freely as there were a few sniffles here and there. L, on the other hand, was frozen for a few seconds. Sadness flashed through his eyes a second. Wrapping his arm around both of them, he kissed the top of their heads – finally showing affection after all their years.

Near stared at the scene in front of him, wondering what to do. However, he was guided when Roger gently gave him a nudge forward. Shifting his gray eyes over to his past caretaker's, he didn't do anything for a few seconds while reading his expression. Reaching over, Near slowly and calmly wrapped his arms around the three individuals that he called a family. It seemed a bit odd at first, mostly due to the physical contact, but he slowly eased into it when two arms wrapped around his torso. He was more comfortable when he noticed that it was Matt and Mello's arms.

On the other side, L continued to hug his children. He didn't flinch or move away when two arms wrapped around his own body. Easing into them, he made a small mental note to thank Wammy and Roger later for the affection and being able to hold him in place while he tried to hold the three boys. Shifting his weight again, he felt a small smile coming onto his lips. Turning his gaze, he stared at the casket, knowing that there lay his brother's body. He knew who to blame – Light Yagami. Pushing the thought aside, he wrapped his arms tighter around his children more.

"He taught me a lot…" Matt mumbled, the sniffing coming to a stop.

"Did he?" L asked, knowing what the answer would be, but he decided that he would go along with it.

"Yeah."

"What did he teach you?"

"It's alright if love comes from a different place or in a different shape from what society says."

L pondered his words at the moment, looking for a hidden intent. He knew there was one, but stopped analyzing after a while. He didn't want to ruin the moment as he slowly wrapped his arms around them more. "That's good." L knew that there was nothing else he could say, knowing that Matt had figured it out on his own without Beyond's help. It seemed as if the boy had nothing else to say about his uncle about that. He had made a spot in all of them – whether good or evil, L knew that it was difficult to see family that way. Perhaps even now he was overanalyzing the situation.

Mello had known what the redhead meant. It was only a matter of time before Near searched for the hidden meaning. Matt knew that even if you were a criminal, that you deserved love toward some extent and in the end, if you found it, to never let it go. Laws of society didn't matter when it was true love. It was stupid, cheesy, but he would let his brother have it.

Throughout the months that followed, the three of them went back to their normal routines. Matt played video games with consoles and computers, but his habit of smoking didn't decrease. It increased with a pack of day, which he didn't even try to kick the habit. Meanwhile, Mello started to eat more and more chocolate, if there were even a scale to measure it before. Near, on the other hand, never stopped playing with toys: dice, robots, darts, cards, trains, planes, puzzles, and anything else he could get his hands on. L's sweet tooth seemed to also increase.

"I don't understand what the pleasure is with this video game." Near spoke, his gray eyes watching as the screen as split into four different parts. Pushing on a button on the controller, he shifted the stick to move the vehicle. "It's racing around a track, trying to cheat your way into coming first each time."

"You're just saying that because you suck at this game. Besides, isn't cheating your type of thing, Near?" Mello countered, his blue eyes concentrated on the screen.

"You both do." Matt answered, his gaze never boring away from the television. "To each their own, dude." Shifting his car, he won first place. Setting the controller down, he could tell how far Mello was from the finish line. Near seemed to win in third place again. A small smile came onto his features, but it quickly left as soon as it appeared.

"…" Near said nothing, setting the controller down. Bringing a hand up, he started to twirl a piece of his hair.

Snapping a piece of chocolate, his blue eyes looked over. "What? Cat's got your tongue?" A small smirk twitched on his lips, a small sign of victory.

"…" Near shifted his gaze, staring at the blue eyes that were staring into his own. Frowning slightly, he shifted his attention over to the television. "May we try again?"

"Sure." Matt said, clicking on a few buttons.

"I'm kicking your ass, Near."

"Yet you're the loser because you're second to Matt."

"You're just saying that because you're sore about losing to third place."

It seemed as if they both kept making sarcastic remarks to each other as the game kept going. The next three rounds were all the same. Matt came first place, Mello second, and Near third. It seemed that it hit the small boy's pride as each game ended with the same result. Stretching a bit, Matt laid back onto the bed. "Okay… the sexual tension in this room is killing me." He smiled a bit, the cocky attitude showing.

"Matt, shut up." Mello frowned, a small blush on his cheeks.

"…" Near didn't deny it or accept it, his own cheeks coming with the same color. Instead, he shifted his attention away, his finger twirling the locks. "It's 2 o'clock in the morning, we should head to sleep."

"Then go to sleep, Matt and I am going to stay up." The competitor tone sounded throughout his words.

"Sure, Mels. That's more fun to me." The gamer smiled.

"I see." Near slowly stood up, walking to the door. "Goodnight, then."

"Wait, you're not sleeping in our room?" Mello looked over, the remote still in hand.

"Would you like me to stay?" Near asked, shifting his attention over.

Matt came in to Mello's defense before the blond had to say anything, "Yeah, I do."

Sock-covered feet walked over to the bed and lay down. Chocolate filled his senses with a small hint of smoke. "Goodnight, Matt, Mello." He started, but then he said the words he thought he would never say in a lifetime. "I love you, Mihael and Mail."

"Night, love you too." Matt spoke, his voice uncaring.

"Wait, what?" Mello asked with a shocked expression.

"Game's startin', Mels."

"Wait. Near?" Mello tried, but received no response. "I know you're not asleep. Answer me."

"Mels, he's asleep." Matt played along, playfulness filled through his voice.

"Like hell he is. Nate, wake the hell up!" There was silence after that, then a soft voice followed, "I love you too."

Near's lips slightly twitched upwards in victory.


End file.
